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Isha-Upanishad Analytical review in the modern context with the

admonitions of YogiRaja Devraha Baba.


Rupasri Edition

Isha-Upanishad (analysis)

Analytical review in the modern context with the

admonitions of YogiRaja Devraha Baba.

Vidjavachpati pr. Bradjkishor.

In cooperation with the Professor of Mechanical Engineering,

State Polytechnic University,

Guljarbag, Patna

Rupa Edition


From the English

Isha-Upanishade (Analytical Review in the Modern Context) Copywrite: Publisher

1st edition: April 1990

Price: 15 rupee

Published: Rupasri Prakashan, Mahendru, Patna –800006 6

Printed: Photo Printers, Shabgandg, Mahendru, Patna -80006

From Hindi

Isha-Upanushada (analysis) 1st Edition: April 1990

Copywrite: Publisher

Published: Rupasri Prakashan, Mahendru, Patna – 6

Printed: Photo Printers, Patna - 6

Price: 15 rupee


Why? The Upanishads represent the apogee of Indian philosophic thought. Its

divinity and depth has also enchanted the Western thinkers and

philosophers. The Upanishads are a part of Veda. Aranyaka (aranyaka –

the ancient Indian scripture that literally means the «forest book»),

brahmana (brahmana is a chapter in each Veda, based upon the meaning

and application of the Vedic hymns) and other scriptures are different parts

of Veda. Veda is considered as apaurusheja (not created by a human). The

more deeply we go into the study of the Upanishads, the more profound

and mysterious it seems to be. In the Upanishads one can come across a

number of explanations of the personal and impersonal form of Brahman

(Brahman – 1) pervasive, impersonal aspect of the Almighty, 2) The

Supreme Divine Personality, 3) all of material nature). However, its

essence remains unclear for the common readers. The respectable

Acharya (acharya – spiritual leaders, mentors) interpret it each from his

own point of view. Scholars have written a lot of definitions both in Sanskrit

and in Hindi. Also, a lot of its interpretations, given by the great Acharya,

have been translated into Hindi. With all of these commentaries and

interpretations there has been no need for the integrated book-scripture.

But all the same, interpretations, i.e. representation in simple and clear

statements, are the main means to approach the studies of the scriptures

for the ignorant and uneducated people.

Our modern life is filled with things to do and concerns to take care of.

Along with the growth of material benefits and scientific achievements our

hearts become more and more shabby and empty. We are surrounded with

anxieties. This vanity and ignorance detain our development. As a result

we lose our [spiritual] roots and run off the main course, i.e. the search for

supreme bliss. The soul estranged from this purpose, is lost in the search

for happiness and piece, and suffers even more. During this transitional

period it is important to outline those ways to obtain pure piece and true

pleasure, which rishi (sage, hermit, ascetic; mythical collective name of the

seven sages, to whom Gods have opened the Vedic hymns) have opened

to us through the thousands of endless meditations, asceticism, sacrifice

and pondering. Today this knowledge is essential to fill life with happiness

and divinity. It is impossible to understand spiritual things through the

traditional language and scientific methods. Many preachers speak in

simple words but with such rich content, and containing such vast sub-text,

that their meaning is lost in this maze. People hear the sound of those


words but fail to derive any kind of knowledge from them. This Upanishad

is analyzed taking into account all of these problems. This analysis has

been carried out with the perspective to the present-day situation and is

quite up-to-date.

Herein you will find an attempt to clarify mantras of Ishavasya-Upanishad,

or Isha-Upanishad in a detailed way. An attempt to keep the context of

some other Upanishads in an enthralling style is also presented in the form

of «Upanishad–Chintana» (chintana – reflection, thinking over). Isha-

Upanishad – is the forties part of Shukla-YajurVeda (one of the parts of

Veda) and it holds the honor to be the first of Upanishad. That is why its

study is presented in the form of analysis, but along with this analysis the

narrative gives a brief account of the other Upanishads. If this foreword

attracts even a slight interest with the curious readers, and they will be

ready to look into the Upanishads, then the efforts of the writer will be

commendable and his work will not be useless.

Ananta Sri Devaraha Baba has dedicated his life to the Upanishads. He

believes that the sacrifice of knowledge (gyana-yagya) is the most useful of

all kinds of sacrifices. This is his sacrifice, his gift. These pages contain his

thoughts encrypted in my words. That is why I am happy to dedicate them

to his lotus feet.

Bradjkishor.

Patna

Sriramnavmi

April 4, 1990


Indian Ideology. YogiRaja Sri Devaraha Baba.

Indian literature is of very ancient origin. It is well organized. Veda is

considered to be an apaurusheja, i.e. revealed scripture. It is knowledge

itself. This is the essence of its mystical nature. Each of Veda is divided

into three parts: 1) samhita (collection of hymns and prayers), 2) brahmana

(divine books explaining the contents of Veda) and 3) upanishads

(philosophically-theological part of Veda). Essentially the main components

of these three parts are karmakanda (part on rituals), gyanakanda (part on

knowledge) and upasanakanda (part on God worship).

In the time of Krita-Yuga (Golden Age, the last of the four world periods)

the Vedic literature definitely had to be present in a larger scope, than it is

now. Pantajali Muni in his «Mahabhasia» speaks of 21 parts of Rig-Veda

(the first and the main part of Veda – Veda of poetic hymns, addressed to

gods), 100 parts of Yajur-Veda (Veda of sacrificial invocations), 2000 parts

of Sama-Veda (Veda of melody, sounding) and 9 parts of Atharva-Veda

(contains invocations and incantations against sickness, demons, enemies,

etc.). In Muktika-Upanishad he names even a greater number of parts.

Rig-Veda contains richi (Vedic hymns). Richi are mantras (prayers)

pronounced aloud during sacrifice. Mantras are integrated in sukta, and

sukta are further integrated in mandala. Thus, Rig-Veda consists of 10

mandala and 1070 sukta. This Veda incorporates two brahmana and

several upanishads. The two Brahmana are Aitareja and Shakhajana (or

Kaushitaki). Aitareja consists of 40 parts, whereas, Shakhajana consists of

30 parts. They contain several historical and geographical descriptions,

definitions and karika (karika – a commentary in Sanskrit literature in the

form of distich). In turn these brahmana are joined into aranjaka, which

describes rishi’s achievements. The Upanishads are also related to this.

Aitareja is also compiled into five aranjaka, and some of these aitareja are

called Aitareja-Upanishad. There are also 3 parts of Kaushitaki-aranjaka,

and some of them are called Kaushitaki-Upanishad. Brahmana is one of

the parts of Rig-Veda/. Its second part is Vashkapa-Upanishad and

Maittrajani-Upanishad. The third part is Sutras. Sutras are divided into: 1)

Shrota-sutra. They are also called Kalpa-sutra (compositions, which

contain detailed description of Vedic sacrifice and rituals). 2) Grihja-sutra

(compositions, which give an account of the rules for household rituals).


Sutras are also known by the names of various rishi, such as for example

Ashvalayana, Shankhayana, Jeiminiya, Veishanlayana, etc. There are also

several compilations of riksamhita (riksamhita – compilation of the hymns

of Rig-Veda), which study the versification, nature of God and

achievements of rishi.

Yajur-Veda consists of 40 parts and 1889 mantras, half of which can be

also found in Rig-Veda. It has 89 different trends. It is also presented in 2

editions: Krishna-Yajur-Veda and Shukla-Yajur-Veda. Earlier samhita and

brahmana have been an integral part, while Shukla and Vadjasanaya

represented only samhita. Yajur-Veda, as can be derived from the title,

contained the description of sacrifices and their rules. If Rig-Veda is

considered to be Veda of hota priests (those, who make sacrifice on fire),

then Yajur-Veda is considered to be Veda of adhvarju priests (those, who

read mantras during sacrifice). Krishna-Yajur-Veda also constitutes an

integral part of brahmana, and its part in prose is called brahmana,

however, Maittriya-brahmana is a separate brahmana of Yajur-Veda. It is

divided into three parts. Taittriya- aranjaka is also one of the parts of this

brahmana. Some of its parts are known as Upanishads. Krishna-Yajur-

Veda includes about 33 Upanishads, of which Katha and Shvetashvatara

are the most famous. Shatapatha-brahmana, which consists of one

hundred parts, is part of Shukla-Yajur-Veda. This Brahmana is important

for several reasons. Aranjaka of this Upanishad is also known under the

name of Vrihadaranyaka-Upanishad. The last section of Yajur-Veda is

known as Isha-Upanishada. In addition to it Yajur-Veda also includes 17

Upanishads. Yajur-Veda also includes a great number of sutra.

Samaveda-samhita consists of 15 songs, 32 parts and 460 sutras. The

majority of them can be also found in Rig-Veda, and only 75 stand

separately. From the point of view of melody and sounding this samhita is

of great importance. Mantras of Sama-Veda are chanted aloud during

sacrifice. He, who reads mantras, is called udgata. They distinguish four

types of mantras: gramagaya, uha, uhya, and aranyagana. It is very difficult

to gain knowledge of Sama-Veda about sounds. Its hymns are called

samagiti. Sama-Veda includes several brahmana, the most popular of

which are Tandya, Mahabrahmana, Shadavinsha, Samavidhana, Aryaya,

Devatadhyaya and Mantra. The most significant Upanishads of Sama-

Veda-Samhita are Chandoghya-Upanishad and Kena- Upanishad.

Atharva-Veda -Samhita consists of 12 chapters and 731 sukta. It has

been created by Atharvana, Angirasa and Bhrigu. The main topic of this


samhita is brahmagyana (gaining knowledge of the world spirit, Brahma).

This samhita has a great historical and social significance, as it also studies

the lifestyle of the representatives of different castes. A widely known

Gopath-brahmana is also related to Atharva-Veda. Several compilations of

sutra originate from it. Kaushika, Nakshatra Kappa sutra, Vaytapa sutra

and Shantikappa sutra deserve particular attention. This Samhits also

includes several Upanishads, such as Mundaka, Mandukya, Prashna,

Grisinha, Tapani and Muktika-upanishada.

Veda includes Upaveda (secular sciences originated from Veda). Overall

there are 4 Upaveda: Ayurveda, originated from Rig-Veda, Dhanurveda

originated from Yajur-Veda, Gandharvaveda originated from Sama-Veda,

and Arthashastra originated from Atharva-Veda. Veda also has 6

components. They are shiksha, vyakarana, chanda, nirukta, jyotish and

kalpa. It is also possible to distinguish several subsections of Veda. They

are Purana, Nyaya, Mimansa, and Dharmashastra.

In order to gain knowledge of Veda it is very important to study all of these

components and subsections. Veda is the most ancient scripture in the

world. From times immemorial in India it is considered that Veda is an

apaurusheja and is created by God for the benefit of humanity. Veda can

provide us with the means to achieve general welfare, which cannot

otherwise be attained though assumptions and experiments. The

Upanishads is the crown of Indian philosophic thought. They study the

basic elements of life and nature. The very substance, which gave birth and

development to the material (visible) universe, is described in God’s words

in Veda, Purana and Upanishads. The distinctive features of Brahma are

vrihata and vrihmanatva. The word vrihata means hugeness, greatness,

and power. Brahma is so huge, great and powerful, that there is no such

word, which could convey this meaning and no such scale, which could

measure it. It is only possible to say that he is infinitely vrihata. It is

impossible to apply to him any system of measurement or weighting. The

word vrihmanatva means to expand, to develop. Brahma is that very

substance that gives birth and development to all existence, and also gives

development to all the variety of forms. Brahma performs these powers

through his eternal energy, i.e. it is possible to say that primarily this energy

is the source of development for the Universe. There are three forms of this

energy: sat, raj and tama (correspondingly: virtue, passion, and ignorance).

Vedanta (literally: the final part of Veda, is one of the idealistic systems of

Indian philosophy, originated from the Upanishad) refers to this energy as


avidya or maya. It gives its detailed description and names it as

anirvachanya (one that cannot be described). In Sankhya philosophy it is

described as trigunatmaka prakriti (trigunatmaka, i.e. one incorporating the

3 fundamentals, which form nature: sat, raj and tama. Prakriti is nature; the

ultimate cause of the material world). Nyaya (one of the orthodox idealistic

systems of the Ancient Indian philosophy) refers to it as invisible energy,

the ultimate cause of all living beings. In Shivaism philosophy this energy is

presented in the form of vimarsha-shakti (energy of thinking, cogitation,

studying). In Vaishnavism philosophy it is known as supporting energy of

God under the names of Lakshmi, Radha, etc.

Sat energy is always present – «Nabhavo vidyate satah». Sat Brahmana

is essential for the Universe to initiate material existence. From times

immemorial followers of different philosophic schools and writers have

been studying this substance; nowadays it is also the object of study for the

modern scientists. It is interpreted, and will always be interpreted in the

context of traditions, place and time, and person. Maybe that is the reason

why shruti says: «ekam sad vipra bahudh vadanti». It is also vividly

described in several sukta of Rig-Veda. There are also several different

descriptions of it in the Upanishads:

Satyam gyanamanashtam brahma (Taittiriya-upanishada 2|2|1 )

Tachchubhram jyotisham jyotih (Mundaka-upanishada)

Vyaanoraniyam mahato mahiyan (Katha-upanishada 2|20)

Nishkalam nishkriyam shantam niravadyam nirandjanam

(Shvetashvara-upanishada 3|23)

Attempts to interpret this indescribable, infinite sat are the reason for

emerging of all philosophic trends.

Scholars easily find in Veda the signs of such modern philosophic trends

as jaravadi and bhautikavadi.

With relation to Indian philosophy there is one significant fallacy that it

based upon pure suffering and disappointment; and also that its main

thesis is renunciation and asceticism, which is why it allegedly cannot stand

the test on the touchstone of science. This point of view is absolutely wrong

and mistaken. The real situation is such that the basis of Indian philosophy

is formed by that hope for happiness and that achievement of it, which are

the end goal of science as well. Indian philosophy is very tightly connected

to life. Life and philosophy are the two sides of the coin.

Philosophy is the theoretical side of the coin, while life is the practical one.

Indian philosophers study life in the light of philosophy. This is their unique


identity and a key to their success. The main issue of philosophic

discussion is to thoroughly study the main life hardships and show their

true nature. Exactly the yearning for knowledge that lies in the origin of

philosophy directs our practice to towards new research and search in the

fields of life, universe, and power of the destiny. That is why it is possible to

say that research of life and all the categories related to it is the goal of

philosophy.

Generally speaking, philosophy explains 4 problems: heya, heya-haitu,

hana and hana-upaya. The distinctive feature of each living being is the

yearning for happiness, benefits and joy. Relative happiness and joy

cannot be the final human goal. Therefore, it is very important to

understand the true nature of suffering that stands as an obstacle and

opponent on the way towards happiness and joy. This suffering is called

heya, or tyajya (i.e. something worthy of renunciation, disdain). Upon

gaining knowledge of the true nature of suffering, i.e. heya comes the

period of understanding of the reason for this suffering. This reason is

called heya-haitu. We are looking for complete liberation from this suffering

and clear awareness of its absence. This is called hana. Methods to reach

this state are called hana-upaya. Now it is clear that in the basis of

philosophy lies the end goal of the soul, i.e. achieving the means to free

from suffering. In other words: what is suffering, who suffers and why?

Then, how to get free from suffering? This issue also includes drashta (the

onlooker, observer), drishya (the observed, visible, object of study) and

bhokta (the subject of experience, pleasure). Under deep observation these

3 elements are revealed as God, nature and living being. The thought in

philosophy flows by means of these three elements.

Materialistic philosophic schools acknowledge sat energy, and that is why

it would be wrong to call them atheistic. If one studies the Vedic texts in

detail, he might see one of the forms of dualistic materialism. It is especially

true about Atharva-Veda. It is possible to see characteristics of materialistic

philosophy in the Upanishads as well. It looks like the representatives of

one school of materialism merged into pure philosophic research, while the

representatives of the other school merged into the search of means to

reach material benefits. Gradually, the gap between these two trends

became so large that one developed into astika (an orthodox trend. It also

determines those, who believe in the authority of Veda, or those who

believe in life after death) and nastika (a non-orthodox trend. It determines

those, who do not believe in the authority of Veda, or those who do not


believe in life after death). In the time of Upanishads there have been

several centers on materialistic philosophy. Generally the object of

research for Upanishads has been the metaphysics, i.e. God, nature and

soul. Some Upanishads also mention historical personalities, which can be

considered the founders of philosophy. The main among these Upanishads

are Chandoghya, Vrihadaranyaka, Kaushitaki, and also Maittriya. They

contain references about such personalities as Pravahana, Jeibali,

Uddalaka, Aruni, Yagyavalkya, Satkama Jabala and etc. The Upanishads

are written in the form of theses, representing the philosophic thoughts in

the form of questions and answers. If these thoughts are studied in detail,

then it will become clear that the world-view of the abovementioned

thinkers is revolutionary and controversial. In fact exactly this revolutionary,

and for this reason, disputable world-view is the breath of Indian ideology.

An important detail: the way of thinking of these philosophers corresponds

to the Vedic tradition. Chandoghya-Upanishads refers to a certain rishi

Sayugva Raikva, as one having new and revolutionary thoughts. His ideas

are not idealistic but materialistic. For instance, he believes ether (air) to be

the basic element of the Universe and acknowledges only this element as

the main one in both spiritual and material world. Notably, that Raikva does

not criticize the basic postulates of Veda. The end goal of commitment both

in Sankhya philosophy and yoga is the same. Yoga studies the same forms

of energy sat that studies Sankhya. There’s only methodological difference.

Sankhya applies endogenous methods, while yoga applies exogenous

ones. In Sankhya philosophy the dominant is knowledge, while in yoga the

dominant is activity and upasana (reverence, worship, cult, service to God).

However, they are aiming the same goal. ShimadBhagavad Gita

wonderfully unites these two systems and limits the sphere of activity for

each of them. Both philosophical schools consider Veda and the

Upanishads to be the sources of knowledge about sat energy.

Shvetashvatara-Upanishad is considered to be the Upanishad of Sankhya

philosophy, while Gita provides the assessment of this philosophic system.

In the Upanishads we come across the description of the individual and

universal consciousness. In Ishavasya-Upanishads we come across the

generalized description of this universal spirit. With regards to the individual

soul they say about the individual intelligence, while on the macrocosm

scale they say about the universal consciousness. Katha-Upanishads

(2|5|3, 10-11) describe the nature of sat energy in a very beautiful way.


In reality Veda and Vedanga (the generalized title of 6 written-works,

having a supporting significance for the understanding of Veda) are like

Kamadhenu cow (a magic cow, performing wishes) or to a wishing tree, i.e.

they will give you as much as you will be able to wish for. Indian spiritual

practice dedicates a significant place to gyana (knowledge, cognition),

karma (activity) and bhakti (faith, connected with the deep devotion and

love) or upasana. These three notions are also tightly connected to yoga.

These three roads lead to yoga. Gaining knowledge of sat energy is the

goal of gyana-yoga, gaining knowledge of material things is not the true

learning. The dominant position of Vedanta philosophy in gyana-yoga is

obvious, however to gain it, it is also necessary to apply yoga philosophy.

Bhakti-yoga is also the means to get control of emotions and feelings. In

bhakti-yoga feelings are directed only towards Ishta (Ishta – deity, selected

for worship). This Ishta is part of Paramatma (Paramatma – Supreme Self).

Concentration upon Ishta leads to the state, which is called kaivalya

(transcendental state of absolute independence, freedom). Karma-yoga is

very vividly described in Gita.

Thus, gyana, karma, and bhakti are based upon the system of yoga. After

detailed study it becomes clear that all of these three elements are

inseparable from each other. The difference can be noted only in rajas (raj),

tamas (tama) and satva (sat). Gyana controls satva - virtue, karma controls

rajas – passion, and bhakti controls tamas – ignorance. This is merely

assessment in terminology. The nature of satva, rajas, and tamas, as well

as gyana, karma and bhakti is extremely mysterious. Gita describes their

main principles, and Bhagavata gives commentaries to them, presented in

simple words.

In the whole world the category of unity is the studied and proved energy

of sat. Acknowledgement of the theory of harmony and accord, present in

all shastra and philosophic trends, is beneficial for all. Theses, capable to

cut the thorns of ignorance are contained in shastra in the form of similar

thorns. They contain and illusionary state of attachment and a way leading

to the fall. It is necessary to study them, because it helps to clean oneself,

to through ignorance away from one’s heart, and also to reveal to all living

beings the fact of their uniqueness. It is no use to get rid of the thorns of

ignorance and run against the thorns of shastra. It is necessary to consider

the whole Universe as unity. It is sarvatma-darshana. This is not a separate

philosophic trend but a lifestyle of saints. This is also the way of bhakti.

This is not some new philosophy. The main object of brahmavidya study


(brahmavidya – theosophy, philosophy of the Upanishads) is samatva-

darshana (philosophy of equilibrium and equality). Brahmavidya is

described in the Upanishads. The main prayer of sarvatma-darshana is

about benefit for all living beings. Nowadays this philosophy is most

important of all, because the world is extremely exhausted with material

suffering. Scientific achievements are helpless to give world piece and

conciliation under material suffering. Science needs a soul, while the soul

needs science. That is why both soul and science should not be

underestimated. The soul is the world spirit, while science is the

characteristic of a certain period of time.

Isha-Upanishad gives explanation of the practical part of all philosophic

trends in simple words. It is considered to be the earliest of the

Upanishads. It doesn’t contain any negative attitude towards pleasures. In

various spiritual treatise (in the upanishads) the essence of the Universe

[world spirit] – Brahma – is called sat-chit-ananda (literally existence-

conscience-bliss). With regards to this it is interesting to note that there

comes understanding that there is an eternal truth in the form of Brahman

limited by three periods and there is knowledge in the form of divine light,

form of Chaitanya. However his form of ananda cannot be perceived by the

society, because common people sense pleasure or happiness through

senses of perception. Hence they get the idea that pleasure is related to

feelings. So how is it possible to describe the unity of forms sat and chit

with Brahma? Senses of perception are only connected with the expression

of feelings only on the material level of reality, but not with their origination.

And this connection is infinite and eternal as sat and chit.

There’s no particular difference between sat, chit and ananda. These three

energies belong to God, who is sat for gyani (man of wisdom,

knowledgeable, competent,) who has got to know God), and ananda for

bhakta (bhakta – devoted, believer, honoring, worshipping, devoted of Sri

Krishna). Bhakta, who experiences ananda, loses interest for everything

else. Ananda is the distinguishing feature of this Supreme Being and all of

the earthly blessings are just a small part of His ananda. In the light of

power of sat-chit-ananda all is sat, all is chit, and all is ananda. According

to Taittriya-Upanishad (2.3|1) the Universe has been created at will of the

Supreme Being, that is why He is the source of all desires. Achieving Him

means achieving supreme bliss. This yearning is the root of ananda. There

are three main ways to reach pure knowledge of ananda. These are gyana,

karma and upasana. All of them are part of sadhana (sadhana – religious,


spiritual activity). There is no particular difference between them. An

integral part of firmness of bhakti (devotion, love of God) is karma and

gyana. On the road to knowledge one has to give credit to obstacles that

appear along the way. Upasana helps to do this. The need of karma is

acknowledged by all, even though in this respect it is necessary to take into

account such notions as renouncement and personal devotion. This

concerns only the difference in the points of view: what from the point of

view of antarmukhi (turned inwards, absorbed in thought) is sarvatit

(transcedental), that from the point of view of baharmukhi (turned outwards,

tending to outward consciousness) is sarvarupa (knowable). That is why

both yogi and gyani can reach bliss. Undoubtedly, many may say that the

end goal of bhakti is reaching supreme bliss, and the end goal of yogi is

merging with the Absolute. The means to know one’s true nature is to

«merge» speech into mind, mind into intellect, and intellect into the

Supreme Being (Katha-Upanishada 1|3|13).

There’s not much difference in the methodology of yogi and bhakti. In

order to control feelings yoga also directs to gradually gain control over

bhavana (here – desires). This state is called sampragyana samadhi.

Concentration upon a certain object is called bhavana, which is also the

work of feelings. There are three types of this object of perception: grahya,

grahana and grihitri. On a road to samadhi that follows the state of ananda

(deep meditation, the supreme state of concentration for yogi) there is

grahana, and there is also the difference between the observer and the

object of observation. For bhakta this bhavana is natural with regards to

Ishta. В In yoga philosophy concentration upon God is called bhakti-yoga.

Shvetashvatara-Upanishad says: «Make your body as the upper arani (part

of the wooden plank, in which Brahmins break fire with the help of

pramanthi – reed), and pranava (sacred sound «Om») as the lower arani.

After thorough rubbing you will see God as hidden fire». Mandukya-

Upanishad also explains a mystical nature of sound «Om» in simple words.

Thus, ishvara-pranidhyana (meditation upon God) is also one of the forms

of bhakti. It attributes a great significance to dhyana (meditation) and japa

(japa – repetition of the names of God, repetition of mantras) –

«tadjapastadartha bhavanam» (Yoga-darshana 1|18). Repetition of

pranava and concentration upon the image of God is called ishvara-

pranidhana. There are several forms of pranidhana. It is generally

acknowledged that when one repeats any name in japa, he may reach

concentration upon the form of the object and gunas (qualities). When


sadhak (one, who performs religious activity) focuses his mind upon Ishta

only, disconnecting from everything else, he immediately reaches bhavana

and all of his desires in all incarnations are purified. This state is called one

that purifies desires, i.e. the only remaining human desire is purification,

while mind, being disconnected from everything else, is completely

dissolved in breathing. Chandoghya-Upanishad says: «Like a bird, tied to

a string, rushes about not knowing where to rest, finds its rest where it is

tied, similarly, my dear, this mind rushes about not knowing where to rest, it

rests in breathing». There also dwells God. That is why mind is filled with

God – «hridi prano vasennityam». Both God and breath always dwell in

the heart. There in the heart is anahata chakra, which contains the sound

«Om». Therefore, concentration upon breathing means concentration upon

God. Kriya-yoga is a simple means to clean one’s mind. It is even more

significant than Gayatri-mantra in bhakti-yoga, and there is no better way to

clean one’s mind than Kriya-yoga. Gayatri is part of energy that governs

the Universe and is called chit-shakti. Gayatri is the reflection of all science

and the essence of Veda teaching. Energy that governs the world of

animals is Gayatri. All poetic meters originate from Gayatri.

Japa is also one of the forms of yoga, as it also requires disconnection

from everything and concentration upon one specific mantra. It includes

nama-japa (repeating the names of Godа) and mantra-japa (повторение

repeating mantra). While reading nama-japa it is possible to reach the state

of leaning towards God, as the moment it is pronounced it creates

concentration upon the image that has his name.

Indian theosophy is contained in various Upanishads in the full volume.

Getting knowledge of this volume of information is necessary, as it fills life

with divine light. Today spiritual values are described in simple words in

many different mantras, but all of them have one purpose, and namely,

reaching the Supreme Absolute, supreme bliss. Philosophers and men-of-

knowledge of the world are defeated by the beauty and divinity of the

thoughts expressed in the Upanishads. Mostly honored is Gita, which

contains the essence of the Upanishads. Mundaka-Upanishad says that:

«Eko devaha sarvabhuteshu gurhaha sarvavyapi sarvabhutanraatma.

Karmadyakshaha sarvabhutaghivasaha sakshi cheta kevale

nirgunashcha» (6|11).

The Upanishads present to us the notion of svarupa (essence, inner

nature, true nature, true nature of being, inner nature of Brahman – sat-

chit-ananda), each containing divine light. They are the source of


knowledge for the human being that he is neither warmth, nor body, nor

feelings, nor conscience, nor breath, nor mind. I am an eternal ananda-

sattva (essence of bliss), free from women, children, household, wealth,

and other benefits. To get to know your Self is to get to know God, to get to

know Universe. It is the only way to get rid from material suffering. Light

that dwells inside a man is eternal, filled with love, and faith. The source of

true bliss is contained inside man himself. When he opens this source, a

flow of bliss descends upon him, the pattern of his thoughts changes and

his life is filled with joy. Pleasure or sadness is contained not in the object

of study but in the point of view at it. Once the point of view changes,

everything changes. A comprehensive study of the Upanishads changes

human worldview, fills him with clairvoyance, and reveals to him the

Universal form of God. Atmasvarupa (atmasvarupa is the term referred to

the Universe and showing that it doesn’t have own reality, and exists only

as manifestation of spirit) always contains paramatma (Supreme Self,

God). Nowadays there’s so much anxiety in the world, so many spiritual

suffering! And it is so only because a man has crossed the boundaries of

his form of sat-chit-ananda, has left the road of self-actualization and

prema-bhavana (prema-bhavana is the feeling of love). Study of

Upanishads helps to break off the state of oblivion. Feelings, that rishi

possess fill our thoughts with beauty. Thus, for example, who has

experienced the filling of love filled with joy, perceives the whole world as a

magic garden of Indra (Indra – the king of heaven, the head of all gods).

For such person every tree is a wishing tree, all water is the water of

Ganga, every action is virtuous, every language in the world is a word of

God, every place on Earth is Kashi, every effort is filled with supreme

significance –

Anandaddvadyayva khalvimani bhutani jayante

Anandaina jatani jevanti anandam tatyabhisamvishanti.

Gyana, karma, bhakti, dharma (virtuous lifestyle, described in Veda) and

upasana are achieved with the help of bhajana (bhajana – worship of God,

prayer to God, religious hymn). Meditation upon God, i.e. bhagavana-

bhajana is the best bhadjana. It is the best religious activity. Regular study

of Veda is also part of bhagavana-bhajana, as it contains knowledge of the

true form of the object of meditation. Regular study of Veda and bhadjana

give sense to human life. Such writings as Gita, Ramayana,

Shrimadbhagavatam and the Upanishads are very practical for study.

Studying them purifies human soul, and without this human life cannot be


filled with joy. Until raga-dvesha (love – hate. Feelings that attach a man to

the universe, personal attractions and antipathies towards people and

objects, based upon past experience of pleasure and suffering) fills human

soul, the universe will be filled with sorrow. When the soul is free from it,

the universe is filled with love and bliss. Everyone will greatly benefit from

accepting the principles of harmony and non-resistance, expressed in all

shastra (shastra – religious texts). Commitment to a particular philosophic

school or dogma is a delusion and there’s only one way to loosen it. As it is

possible to purify human sins, as it is possible to tear out ignorance from

human heart, as it is possible to show the union of all souls in the universe,

similarly it is possible to learn shastra. One enemy can be defeated with the

help of another one, which afterwards is of no use. Similarly shastra are

one enemy, while ignorance and also maya (illusion) are the other

enemies. When the enemy of shastra destroys the enemy of ignorance,

then they are of no use. To see all five elements of the universe [land,

water, air, fire, ether] in unity is siddhi (supernatural ability). In the essence

of diversity of forms lies ignorance and sadosha (what has drawbacks,

something wrong, erroneous). If you wake up the feeling that you contain

the whole universe inside, then raga-dvesha will not be able to remain

there. The idea that there is some illusionary intelligence in the visible

universe is also wrong. Lifestyle of saints is conditioned by their pattern of

thinking. But they are not one and the same. This play of thought has a

practical nature, but not the spiritual one.

This problem is from the field of spiritual practice. Shastra describes its

several aspects. According to shastra it has three basic points: 1) I am all.

2) Nothing exists separately from me. 3) All is Vasudeva (epithet of

Krishna). The first one refers to gyana-yoga, the second one refers to

karma-yoga, and the third one refers to bhakti-yoga. All of the three points

of view are anubhava-gamya (acquired through direct perception, through

samadhi) and have one goal.

The universe is a game of bahirmukha-vritti (bahirmukha-vritti – expressed

mode of action, outward directed). While thought is antarmukhi (inward

directed), that is why it can be considered to be in deficit in the universe. All

philosophies are nothing else but the game of thought. Somewhere it is

drishtisrishtivada (teaching that the whole universe is a product of thought),

ans elsewhere it is srishtidrishtivada (teaching that the whole universe is an

objective reality), but both are philosophic teachings. All of the five

elements of the universe are a game of the abovementioned [energy] sat.


Complete absence of the universe is chinmatra (pain consciousness,

integral consciousness). Tattva-gyani (philosopher; who has gained

knowledge of Brahma, universal spirit) sees the [energy] chit in the mind’s

game. With regards to this there’s one interesting Sufi principle

vahadtulvajuda.

One Sufi poet has said

«Judhar dekhta hu, idhar tu hi tu he

Har shai me jalva tera hubahu he»

(Wherever I look, there is you everywhere. Your light is always the same).

Such mind-set is called brahmakar vritti (integral final thought about the

final Brahman). Here the world is perceived as emptiness, nirvishesha

(without any particular characteristics). Up until there is raga-dvesha, such

mind-set is inaccessible. Until there is «Self» and «mine», there is raga-

dvesha. When they are no more, all animate and inanimate objects in the

universe will be integrated into one and whole. This is the state of

liberation, the state of knowledge.

Gita also says that

«Satta parataram nanyat kinchidasti dhanandjaya

Mapu sarvamidam protam sutre manigana iva».

This means «Oh, Dhananjaya (epithet of God), dawn upon me! Nothing

exists separately from me. As pearls are threaded, similarly all comes

through me». When God enters one’s heart, then everything starts to be

perceived as Ishvara (personal God, personal Brahman). At that moment

all of the games of mind become lila (lila – divine game, games of God).

The study of shastra only wakes the desire to know God. If it was not like

this, then everyone who studies them could reach Him, but it doesn’t

happen. Together with learning shastra it is also necessary to have abilities

for spiritual practice. It is said that if somebody merely learns words from

shastra and is not concerned with perceiving their real meaning through

spiritual practice, then this study is like a barren cow that only gives milk. It

is impossible to get rid of the vices accumulated in a multitude of

incarnations without spiritual practice. Without purification of the soul from

these vices, it is impossible to perceive the true form of God. Without direct

perception of God, merely by listening to others or making own

conclusions, it is impossible to understand His true form. Hence, in order to

perceive the universal spirit or Brahma making spiritual practice under the

guidance of spiritual teacher is essential. By the mercy of a spiritual teacher

even the insignificant spiritual practice, as for example, merely an ardent


desire, can contribute to getting close to God. Presenting his particular

mercy to devoted bhakta, their spiritual teacher reveals to them the true

nature of Brahman. To get know the universal spirit, is to be a pundit

(pundit – sage brahman, educated, talented). I believe that one who has

not gotten knowledge of Brahman, who believes that he is merely a body,

is in a great delusion. Study of the Upanishads eliminates this delusion and

opens the road towards spirituality.


Ishopanishad The road of bliss

Om purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnamudachyate

Purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavashishyate

Om shanti shanti shanti

The word «Om» defines Bhagavan (Lord Narayana, Hari, the one, who

possesses all virtues). It defines the Supreme Spiritual Identity, Absolute

Identity of God. It is His name. To repeat the word «Om» is to call for God,

to repeat His name. Many shruti tell about it. It is a special sound that

spreads across the universe during spiritual practice and which includes all

of the knowledge in the universe. It is omnipresent, eternal, and it is in

everyone.

The word «Om» is filled with sat-chit-ananda, parabrahma (parabrahma –

Absolute Truth, God), parameshvara (Parameshvara – Supreme God), all

of the aspects of God. It has no drawbacks; it is absolutely clear to

everyone. Full and absolute power is called paramatma. The form of sat-

chit-ananda is whole, paramapurusha (Supreme Identity of God),

parabrahma is the cause of all creation. The Universe is His part. Thus, the

Universe is also whole.

«Ishavara ansha jiva avinashi» – Soul, being a smaller part of God, is also

eternal and whole. The Universe is whole with the fullness of parabrahma.

The Universe is originated by Paramatma, but this doesn’t mean that it has

drawbacks. It is what it is.

This fullness is defined by the number «0». Subtract zero from 0, and it will

give you zero. Everything that originates from paramatma is as complete as

Paramatma. In the end, when the Universe enters parameshvara,

paramatma remains complete.

Everything originating from parameshvara –the Universe, and all the living

beings – has all of the opportunities to know the complete and whole. All of

the vices and drawbacks occur because these living beings do not have

knowledge of this wholeness. Human form of life is obtained after 8400000

incarnations in various forms and after several stages of development. If a

person doesn’t develop awareness about his wholeness, then he will have

to pass the whole cycle of incarnations once again. It’s part of human


nature to strive for his goal, for completeness. However, if he doesn’t attain

this great knowledge, then it is only because of his delusions. In delusion a

man may dedicate himself to fill life with feelings, hence are his

imperfections.

Thus, the true knowledge is that parabrahma, parameshvara is whole. He

is sat-chit-ananda. Each part of it possesses His completeness, purity and

bliss. Who has this knowledge, and who is aware of his own true nature, he

knows Paramatma. Awareness of unity with paramatma, awareness of own

fullness, eliminates all suffering. By attaining this knowledge, knowing his

completeness, a man attains supreme bliss. Bliss is only in Supreme God,

in union with Him.

The true nature of «Om», completeness of perfect Brahman and, hence,

completeness of the true nature of «Self», and also knowledge about their

union eliminates all suffering.

-(1)- Ishavasyaidam sarvam yatkincha jagatyam jagat

Tena tyaktena bhunjidha ma gridhah kasya svid dhanam

Everything in the Universe, the whole world of jara-chetana (world of

suffering, material world) originates from God. Being the cause of all

causes, benefactor of all beings, omniscient, omnipresent and governing

everything, God in His form of Parameshvara penetrates everything that we

see and hear, in visible and invisible Universe. Everything that we have

belongs to Him. The sky, the earth, flowing rivers, stormy seas and oceans,

stars, the sun, and the moon – they all belong to Him, and he belongs to

them all. Nothing belongs to us, and that’s why we should not be attached

to anything. We should not refer them to us and should not level with them.

We should enjoy them, knowing this [the abovementioned]. «Tena tyaktena

bhunjitha» – Everyone should take only what is given to him by God, and

exactly as much as is given by God to maintain the body. The Earth does

not belong to a particular person, the world ocean does not belong to a

particular person, all of the air in the atmosphere does not exist for one

person’s breathing, and sunlight does not exist to be put in a yard of a

particular person. Everything in the Universe belongs to God, and only He

has rights to it. We can enjoy this wealth only through self-denial and

constant nearness to paramatma. Paramatma is inside us. Our body

belongs to it. All water, all grain, and all gold belong to it. If we remember


this, then every moment we can remember God and even renounce

pleasures. Enjoyment of any material things, on condition of remembrance

of God, becomes divine service. All objects, that we enjoy, belong to God.

That is why they should be used only to please Him.

Chapter 7 of Gita tells about two energies of Bhagavan: 1) apara-prakriti or

jara-prakriti (inferior, material energy of God) and 2) para-prakriti or

chetana-prakriti (superior energy of God). Earth, water, fire, air, ether,

mind, intellect, and false ego – belong to apara-prakriti. In addition para-

prakriti, that includes all of the living beings and organic energy, is also the

form of Bhagavan. However, whatever exists in the visible and invisible

universe and to whatever energy it belongs – all is His energy. He is the

cause of all existence, and He is the Lord of all existence. Everything in the

Universe exists in the form of energy, and all of the energies are governed

by God.

Bhagavan is like fire, and all animated and unanimated objects are like

warmth and light it radiates. If there was no fire, then there would be no

warmth and light from it. As fire spreads its energy in the form of warmth

and light, similarly God spreads His energy, His power as the variety of

forms of creation. He is the Lord of all beings; He supports everyone and

governs everyone. Everything originates from Him and everything flows

into Him. Thus, He is omniscient; He is the benefactor for all. Similarly all

energies, wealth, glory, beauty, and knowledge are subordinate to Him.

In the modern world all conflict are resolves with the help of arms. Brother

has become enemy to his brother; countries are ready to destroy each

other. People and whole countries exploit each other, in order to

accumulate as much wealth as possible. Society has been divided into

oppressors and the oppressed. Developed countries have accumulated

enormous wealth, they burn their bread, drown it in the sea, only to make

sure that its price will not plunge at the world market.

On the other hand, in the developing countries millions of people starve to

death. Wrong arrangements in these countries, the mistaken visions and

judgments cause these problems. That is what happens when a man or a

whole country becomes victim of delusion, and forgets God. Unknown

number of civilizations emerged and sank into nonexistence; many

countries filled their treasuries with wealth, and then just disappeared on

their own or have been absorbed by the deep sea. During his whole life

man accumulates wealth through lies, theft, and causing suffering to

others. But whether he can take even a small part of all this wealth to his


grave? Everything will stay here. It’s because everything belongs to God

and not to a man. Rich countries credit developing countries on hard terms,

thus lying to and stealing from the population of these countries. The

Upanishads consider such tendencies to be inappropriate. This is

unacceptable. This is the reason why we are in chains. The reason is that

wealth, accumulated in such a wrong way, whether they belong to one

person or to the whole country, will be completely useless in the end. Either

capitalists or communists, until they use natural resources according to

their own discretion, there will be no piece in the world, and they will always

suffer fro their own arrogance. All of the wealth they have, they have stolen

from its true owner. The more wealth has a person or a country, the greater

thief and liar he [it] is. People have not been created to fight with each

other, like cats and dogs. People are not animals. Animas can kill others to

feed, but a man cannot do this. If he does this, he is very far from

understanding the truth, he is ignorant, and he is under the influence of

delusion. In this way he gets only anxiety and agitation.

This mantra is supposed only to destroy our delusion that attachment to

some objects or considering oneself owner of something is wrong. «Sabei

bhumi gopal ki sampatti sab raghupati ke ahe» («The whole earth

belongs to God, and all wealth is the breath of God»). That is all have equal

rights to this wealth. A man or a country should take only as much, as is

minimum required to support the body. Their tendency to accumulate leads

to artificial deficit of certain things, and as a result others suffer, common

people suffer. Therefore, such tendency is the social exploitation and

oppression. By all means, it should be rejected completely. That is why

unequal distribution of the divine gifts and also excessive luxury are

inadmissible. Kabir has such lines

«Saim itna dijie, jarme kutub samae.

Me bhi bhukha na rahu, sadhu na bhukha jae»

(«Lord, send as much, as is required to feed a family.

I will not remain hungry and the saint pilgrim will not leave hungry»).

-(2)- Kurvanneveha karmani jijivishechchhatam samah

Evam tvayi nanyathetosti na karma lipyate nare

You should strive to live hundreds of years in this world, remembering

God, getting close to Him, and following the instructions of shastra. Thus,


the activity that you perform as a tribute to God will never turn into chains.

And there is no other way.

This life has been given to us only to remember God, and worship Him.

This is the great purpose of life. We are surrounded by different forms of

God. And only He is the only Generator (Creator), Operator (Supporting)

and Destructor of the Universe. All existence emerges and disappears

according to His wish and will. He is the owner of all. All is subordinate to

Him. Thus every activity should be performed as God’s worship. It is our

duty, which is described in shastra. Shastra do not recommend inactivity.

Scholars say that inactivity is equal to death. Thus, the Upanishads

recommend acting to speed up our movement forward. Gita recommends

to merge into activity, but to refuse results of this activity –

«Karmadhikarmanyestu ma pfaleshu kadachan». The Upanishads also

indicate the right way of activity and taking pleasure in objects for us –

«Tena tyaktena bhunjitha».

Thus, keeping your feelings under control, always remembering God, we

should only wish for a long life. We should live, performing our duties, only

to satisfy God. This activity is never for yourself, for achieving own personal

goals, or for pleasure. To act, but to refuse results of labor is the only right

way.

The essence of activity is to be the chains, to be the obstacle, to be

attached to results. But in the neutral (balanced) state it looses its nature. A

man is bound to receive a body with regards to the good or bad actions. To

be born and die again and again in different bodies is the real bondage.

Because he, who lives a reserved, moderate life, who refuses results of his

activity, he is freed from this bondage –

Karmrijam buddhiyuktahi pfalam vyaktva manoshinah

Janmabandha vinirmuktah padam gachchhantyanamamam

Thus, by refusing results of his activity, man is freed from the cycle of

incarnation and receives paramapada (paramapada – the supreme state,

moksha). One who tries to live his life in a human body usefully in this

respect, indeed can be named an intelligent person, a wise man. One, who,

having received this incarnation as a door to salvation, still takes pleasure

enjoying the results of his actions, is a real fool and ignoramus. (Gita. 4|22).

Devaraha Baba also says: «he, who has not experienced atma-tattva

(With regards to Self (atma), tattva corresponds to its true nature as an

integrated existence in the Supreme Self (paramatma)) is a fool. The only

way to experience it is to dedicate all of your activity to God».


Nobody wants to die. Everyone wants to live as long as possible. The

yearning to long life is natural. All living beings have to fight for existence. If

they do not fight, they will not survive. Every living being in essence is

eternal. However, due to attachment to the material values, due to desire to

enjoy them again and again, it is bound to be born again and again. In

order to support life and to feed a man has to work. This is the law of

material nature. Those activities that are performed by men to fulfill

prescribed duties are called karma. Actions performed to receive

deliverance from, births and deaths are called akarma. While actions,

performance of which dooms a man to fall to the inferior life-forms, are

called vikarma. Common people want to do good to lift their life-level and

go to heaven after death. But people, who are more intelligent, do good

things not only for this purpose. They would like to get free from the

abovementioned bondage. They would like to get freedom from the

consequences of their actions. They know that both good and bad actions

lead to bondage. But it is impossible to keep from activities. Even for a

moment a man cannot stop acting, as the nature of all of the living beings is

subject to the influence of the three gunas of material nature – sattva, raja

and tama. (Gita 3|5). In Gita Lord Krishna gives a clear advice– «Niyatam

kuru karma tvam karma jyayo hyakarmanaha» - perform the duty you

have been destined to, because it is better than doing nothing.(3|8). In such

a way you can achieve akarma. Knowledge controls human energy karitri

(energy directed towards actions, life energy) and help to gradually achieve

the fullness, omnipresence and power of paramatma. This is true

knowledge. When a person gets this knowledge, he is cleared and is no

more subject to the influence of the gunas of material nature and receives

capacity for nishkarma (nishkarma is the activity that does not attach to the

circle of incarnations). There are people that thoroughly control active

organs (speech, hand, leg, genitals and anus), holding them away from the

objects of activity, but inside their souls they remain attached to these

objects. This is nothing but hypocrisy, pretence and delusion. Attachment

to the objects should be restrained not only on the outside but also on the

inside. Only then activity will be filled with divine sense. Only energy kariti

that is directed towards activity for God meets bhakti. A common person

works to satisfy his feelings, concerns about personal benefit, and when

the limit of personal interest is expanded to the field of society, country and

the whole world, undoubtedly, it becomes very attractive. From the point of

view of «personal benefit» it is very good. Undoubtedly activity for the


benefit of others, benefactions, are good; however, desire for fame

enfolded in it also turns it into bondage. If such actions are directed towards

God, then they will not perform as bondage. Society, country, and the world

are the forms of God. God is present in everything. Every living being is His

form. If a man understands this and directs his activity to serve a certain

society, country, the universe, certain person or just any living being, then it

will be best of all. Whether he is may a socialist, a communist or a

nationalist, his activity will only benefit from taking on a God-centric

character. God-centric actions are very important. Even the most

insignificant they can save a person from many dangers; they force the fear

of death to disappear –

Svalpamapyasya dharmasya trayate bhayat (Gita 2|40).

Today capitalist, socialist and communist countries begin to grow their

nuclear potential. The USA and the Soviet Union have accumulated so

many weapons, that it can destroy the whole population of the Earth

several times. They just intensify fear. What kind of a service to humanity it

is? It all happens because of their wrong views and wrong intensions. Their

activity is only directed towards individual benefit. Their care of humanity is

merely a pretence and hypocrisy. If their actions get onto a God-centric

direction, then antagonism will disappear, hypocrisy will disappear, and the

reason to threaten each other will also disappear. Material prosperity alone

cannot set free from fears. By ignoring human personality in every possible

way it is impossible to get on the road of correct evolution. The essence of

God-centric activity is to take away fears, grant fearlessness.

Thus, through activity directed at God, God-centric activity, we can

eliminate all of the obstacles on the way of true development. The greatest

human fear is the cycle of births and deaths. And with the help of spiritual

development this fear can be conquered. True spiritual development is only

possible in God-centrism.

What do we need thing long life for? Is it to suffer from illness and sorrow?

Is it to suffer from hunger? Nowadays countries of the third-world live lower

than the living wage and experience many hardships, while the developed

countries deceive and rob them in every possible way. Such evolution is

dangerous for humanity as a whole. «Kurvan eva iha karmani jijivishet

shatam samaha». First, you should do your duties, duties indicated in

shastra, do God-centric actions, and then you can wish for a long life. Act,

but remember that God is the cause behind every unit in the Universe, He

is in everything and all of the things in existence are His form. There’s


nothing which is yours or mine. Therefore, you should enjoy objects while

remembering God. All of the land resources, wealth belong to God, and not

to a particular person or country. Each has a right to use this wealth,

because God dwells in each of us.

-(3)- Asurya nama te loka andhena tamasavrittah

Tamste tretyabhigachchhanti ye ke chatmahano janah

The killer of the soul is doomed to the planets of unbelief, buried in

darkness and ignorance.

The soul is a part of God – «Ishvara ansh jiv avinashi, chetan amal sahedj

sukharashi ». It is pure, wise and impeccable. Flame is light, and every part

of the flame is also light. As the soul is part of God, its main qualities gunas

never change. When this soul comes to the Earth, it has a certain goal.

There are other living beings on the Earth. There are animals, insects. All

of them also want to eat. They are also thirsty. They sleep, are awake,

move, sire as well. Animals also eat and copulate. Why a human is

considered to be superior? Because he has intelligence, consciousness,

and energy, that help to understand everything. If he wants he can do

everything with the help of intelligence. Our body is the instrument of any

faith. With its help we can perform our duties. Without body you can do

nothing. That is why human form of life is considered superior and difficult

to access. To get such a wonderful body and to use it only to satisfy senses

in the animal-like way doesn’t do any credit to a man. By getting attached

to material values we can never fulfill the destiny of our human form of

existence.

Undoubtedly, a human life-form has been given to us to understand our

true nature, to use all possible means to reach the lotus feet of God, and to

be occupied with self-development. Our body is given to us to know God

and find true piece and bliss. With the help of human body we can do good

and be occupied with spiritual activity, and we can serve the lotus feet of

God in the for of the Universe through compassion to all of the living being

and brining benefit to them. This is the superior purpose of the human

body.

That is why a human body is so different from the bodies of animals and is

so developed, because holds a great duty. One who knows this aim, who

understands this task, he begins first and foremost to get to the Gods


abode. Such people are called seers. While those, who do not know or do

not accept this task, are called aseers. Some people, due to their

ignorance, are also unable to realize their destiny. They are too attached to

material things. They either do not accept God or laugh, calling Him only

the fruit of their imagination. Both groups of people are called aseers. Their

predominant guna is tamas. According to Rig-Veda, seers are also those

people, who always think about the lotus feet of God. Every moment of life

of these people is filled with light.

Surs perform their duties always remembering God. Every work they

consider to be a divine service. Chapter 16 of Gita describes in detail such

qualities, which can be called «deivi sampada» (qualities, characteristic of

semi-gods, perfect virtues). Fearlessness, purification of own existence,

development of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, sacrificing,

studying Veda, asceticism, simplicity, non-use of force, truthfulness,

freedom from anger, self-denial, tranquility, unwillingness to look for the

imperfection of others, compassion to all of the living beings, freedom from

greed, kindness, modesty, firm resoluteness, vitality, forgiveness to all,

power of spirit, purity and freedom from envy and from desire for power –

all of these are the qualities of seers. (Gita 16|1-3).

All, who possess these qualities deivi sampada, are seers, divine. These

qualities are like a happy lakshana (lakshana – spot on the body,

symbolizing a happy or an unhappy destiny). Having received a human

body, to develop these qualities is a spiritual practice, as it leads to

liberation. These qualities bring us closer to God and give us true

happiness.

Qualities that are characteristic for aseers, are also described in Gita in

detail and are called «asuri-sampada». These qualities enchain, they are

connected to the cycle of births and deaths and emerge from the human

spiritual degradation. Arrogance, pride, vanity, anger, rudeness and

ignorance are qualities of aseers. They do not know about human duties,

assigned to them by shastra, and do not reveal any interest towards them.

They do have neither worthy behavior, nor truth. They do not have a moral

code. They always act cruelly and willfully. Such aseers claim that this

world is unreal, that it has no basis, and that there is no God to control it.

They believe that there is no cause other than lust. They believe that the

world is has no sense and appeared by accident. They believe that material

nature was the reason of universal creation. Such unreasonable aseers

cannot understand the mystery of creation of the Universe, and in their


ungodliness commit actions, that are destructive for the whole world, for all

of the living beings. Their views are entirely materialistic, why they, being

haughty and arrogant, try to satisfy their desires in all possible ways. In

order to hide own ignorance and sins, they create own deceitful teachings,

and principles. They are the embodiment of insolence. Because they have

neither internal nor external purity and hold satisfaction of own desires for

the main cause, then everywhere – in taking food, in the style of living, in

the pattern of speech, in industry and trade, and in relations they spread

insolence. In Gita such people are called «nashta atamana» (i.e. who lost

themselves) (Gita 16|9), because they do not hear the voice of their soul.

Aseers commit actions under the influence of lust, anger and greed. They

believe that satisfying senses is the top priority. They live their whole life

attached to sensory pleasures, surrounded by numerous anxieties. The

main thing for them is wealth. Chained with the bonds of hundreds of

desires, they kill unscrupulously like animals, to please themselves and to

accumulate wealth. They fill their barns with wealth and believe that with its

help they can satisfy all of their desires. They feel antagonism for all, and

kill others out of hatred or out of envy. In lawlessness, violence, and

oppression, through murder and robbery they accumulate enormous

wealth. That is why they believe they are the most powerful, the most rich,

and the most famous.

Deceived by false prestige and wealth, they commit ostentatious sacrifices,

to win confidence and trust of other people. Such people do not develop in

terms of faith; they do not have any intension to free from disbelief,

however, for appearance’s sake, aiming at the top place in various religious

movements, they often deal with spiritual practice. These inferior people,

who think they are better than others and have no faith in God, still, arrange

ostentatious divine service sometimes in order to win a status. These

egoistic, arrogant, evil people, continuously feeling desires, die and,

burning in the flame of anxiety, get into hell. Lust, wrath and greed are the

doors to hell. He, who has these three drawbacks, sins and thus feels the

tortures of hell. He, who has no such qualities, received freedom from

incarnations and true bliss.

According to research in Gita, it is only to wonder to the enormous amount

of aseers in the modern society. Internationally people have grown arrogant

and haughty. Considering material success to be a road that leads to

happiness, they start to claim it with unjust methods. Discoveries are only

made with regards to the sensual pleasures. One country finds another


country for enemy and starts to grow own nuclear potency to destroy it.

Everywhere it is not safe. Nobody can rest in piece. All die because of

anxiety. Rape, murder, immoral and dissolute behavior seem to have

become the reason for living. What kind of a creature a man is that he feels

tenderness towards animals and is at war with other people. Literally, all

people deal in such activities that the world is now on the verge of death.

Love for one’s neighbor, firmness, simplicity, purity, compassion, tolerance,

and indulgence can hardly be found today. We perfect our delusions. After

hundreds of thousands years, having finally received this human form, a

man, for his arrogance and haughtiness, cruelty and greed, is ready to

bring to zero all of the favorable opportunities it gives. Having his nose in

the air because of wealth, stripped his faith, stuck in lust, a man is ready to

burn the whole world in the flame of his envy and hostility. Under the mask

of various religions these hypocritical people, one better than the other,

become prophets and claim they are God. Having in such a way deceived

the common people, they lead luxurious lives. All of this is a cause of

anxiety, and virtuous people carry the burden of responsibility to establish

and maintain moral principles in the world society. This third mantra of

Isha-Upanishad describes the death of aseers. No one can be happy if he

is far from virtue. Whatever amount of mortal wealth we accumulate, they

will not be able to give us piece and rest. Oil, spilled into the fire, cannot put

it down. Similarly the flame of material pleasures cannot be put down with

similar pleasure. Governors, who possess the qualities of aseers and do

not believe in human traits and entitled duties, will die in pain and go to the

darkest planets. They fall [spiritually].

Darkness is a symbol of ignorance. Light indicates knowledge. Aseers do

not have knowledge and serve own inclinations because of dark qualities.

Due to delusions, greed, wrath, arrogance, haughtiness, envy, hostility their

soul walks in the darkness. They fear this darkness, which is like the

darkest night. They burn in the flame of anxiety and trouble. Wealth, they

commit new crimes for, throws them into deeper anxiety. These people

experience hellish torments already in this life. People, who kill their souls,

after death go to the planets full of torments, suffering and ignorance.

These planets are called “devoid of sunshine”, because darkness rules

there. Light never comes there. There is no Sun or Moon on the divine

planets, as God illuminates them with his radiance.

There are two types of actions. There are those that do not become chains

and are not connected to the cycle on incarnations , and others that


become chains, and by giving results will again through us into the circle of

births and death. This second kind of action can be of three types: 1) those

that lead to a fall. A human is bound to be born in the body of the other,

inferior form of life. These are called dushkarma or sinful actions. 2) those

that do not lead to a fall. A man is born in the human body. 3) those that

lead to the divine planets, but because of attachment to the results, a man

is bound to be born again in a human body. These three types of karma are

called sakama karma. Being sinful, the first one is characteristic of aseers.

The other two are called punyakarma. Free from the cycle of incarnations

performance of own duties, unrelated to either sinful or virtuous actions

leads to the level of «Na karma lipyate naraha» (independent from

actions).

Thus, Isha-Upaishad recommends that by all means we should not

develop qualities of aseers when we get a human form, while we should

continuously try to get rid of them. This is spiritual practice. Love of God

and His universal form is the highest spiritual practice. A man can purify

through own practice. He just has to step off the road of the fall –

Uddharedatmanatmanam natmanamavasadaet

Atmayva hyatmano bandhuratmayva ripuratmanah (Gita 6|4)

(4)- Anejadekam manaso javiyo nainaddeva apnuvan purvamarshat

Taddhavatonanyatyeti tishthattasminnapo matarishva dadhati

Parameshvara (Supreme Lord) is still. He is advaita (only one). But He

moves faster than the thought. He is the reason of all, he is gyana-svarupa

(internally the essence of knowledge that is characteristic of Him), He is

omniscient. Even the powerful semi-Gods cannot get close to Him, or

cognize Him. He stands still, but He leaves behind any semi-God. He

controls the work of semi-Gods that send wind and rain. He is still, but even

you move as fast as a thought, you will not reach Him. Thought is the

fastest substance in the material world. A thought can cover any distance

of one thousand kilometers in a blink of an eye. To move with a though,

there’s no need to move your body. We can stay at home, and our thoughts

can travel the whole world in a moment, and even the whole solar system,

and come back. Scientists consider the speed of light to be the supreme

logical material category. Any physical body, by getting acceleration of the

speed of light becomes a small particle, an impulse. Speed of thought if


faster than the speed of light. Thus, it is faster than the impulse. However

God, who is in all, being still, can move faster than the speed of thought.

Thought cannot reach Him. God is always ahead of thought, because

wherever the thought goes, the omnipresent God is initially there.

«Ishavasyamidam sarva yatkinchit jagatyam». A thought can reach the

Universe, but each hair on the body of God consists of thousands of

universes. Hence, even our thought cannot reach God and cognize Him.

Even the greatest philosophers cannot fully grasp Him through mediation.

Neither semi-Gods, nor great sages can cognize God, because he is their

cause of all causes, their creator. And it is in all senses –

Na me viduha suraganah prabhavamna maharshayah

Ahmadirhi devanam maharshinam cha sarvashah

Gita 20|2

God is infinite, eternal, and has no beginning. Semi-Gods, sages are all

subject to limits. Each has his beginning and end. Being limited, how can

they cognize the infinite essence of God? Only when He shows mercy and

wants to reveal His true form to a man, a man can truly see Him – «Janayi

chehu tuhe dehu janayi». In His infinite mercy God reveals His form of sat-

chit-ananda. We cannot cognize Him with the help of mind or logic, etc. He

is above these notions. We can neither approach understanding of God

through imagination or meditation, because he is out-of-reach for our

thoughts.

It is impossible to reach His limits because He is limitless. People and

semi-gods strive to reach Him, to know Him, and to understand Him. But it

is impossible. In this striving they trust only their own powers. They take

pride in own courage, own intelligence, and own abilities. As a result of

such self-assurance, ego, pride and arrogance, the Supreme Lord doesn’t

let them reach Him. When tired of this rush a man falls down gasping for

his breath, all of his ego and self-assuredness fade away. He comprehends

the truth that God cannot be reached through own effort and power. At this

moment a man gives himself away to God, becomes His devoted bhakta,

so that God would show mercy, lift a man and seat him on His lap. This is a

simple way to know God, to come to Him. Fire is located in a certain place,

but it spreads warmth and light everywhere. Bhagavan is also in one place,

but his energy spreads everywhere. His energy can be divided into three

types: 1) internal, 2) border-line, 3) external. All of these energies are

infinite. Semi-Gods that govern air, light, rain, etc., all of the living beings,

including people constitute the border-line energy, are its parts. The entire


material world is the creation of His external energy, which is called maya,

and heaven, i.e. the kingdom of God is the creation of His internal energy.

Thus the God’s energies are present everywhere. The entire existence

originates from Him and flows into Him.

When God in many forms enters all of the animate and inanimate objects,

revealing in His internal energy, he is in no danger because of this. He is

complete and whole and He is infinitely whole and complete. Even having

spread himself in many forms, he remains whole and complete, advaita.

His internal energy remains inviolable. A man comes to a certain decision

referring to own thinking abilities, which are rather limited. God is beyond

these limited thinking abilities. That is why the Upanishads remind us over

and over again that if we rely only upon our abilities, limited by senses,

then it is impossible for us to know God, impossible to cognize the Absolute

Truth. The Supreme Lord is omnipotent, He controls everything, He is the

cause of all causes, and He is omniscient. Separate parts cannot be equal

to the whole unity, but all these parts constitute this completeness. Each

part of the golden bar is gold, and it possesses all of the qualities of the

whole golden bar. Then why people, being parts of God, are not omniscient

and omnipotent as well? If some part of a golden bar is covered with dust,

whether it can shine similarly to its unstained part? No, it cannot. When

dusted, it loses its shine. Similarly a man, being covered with the dust of

maya, loses his true nature. His true nature has not changed, because it is

constant, and exists for a long time; it is maya, which is temporal and short-

lived. When this dust of maya is cleared out, the true clean nature of a soul

is revealed again. A man can discard the veil of maya himself, because he

has his mind. It is his work, his spiritual practice. By practicing karma-yoga

and gyana-yoga, a man regains the purity of his soul and his true nature. I

someone brushes the dust off the dusty part he will again see it shining.

Here this someone, this benefactor is God. Through His grace God

brushes off this dust, sheds away the veil of maya. Then, like a part of a

golden bar, a man becomes shuddha-buddha-nirmala (pure, enlightened).

The way to achieve such God’s grace is the way of bhakti. We might be or

we might not be a success in our struggle against maya, in the attempts to

cast away its veil. And what if in a long-term spiritual practice we are just

about to be a success in our attempt to cast away maya, but it suddenly

drops its veil? This happens by the grace of God that controls it and

naturally removes it.


Parts of the whole possess all its qualities and energy. Ignorance for a

man is to forget about his energy. To know your energy, your qualities

means to get rid of the influence of maya, i.e. be free from the bonds. All

energy originates from Bhagavan. Wind, fire, and rain contain God-given

energies. If God takes away these energies, then semi-Gods that control

these elements will be helpless. It is possible to bring the following

example: When semi-gods won a battle against the demons they got

conceited about it. Pride is the most powerful enemy. It is the rout of all

sinful actions. Semi-gods forgot that they do not own powers they are so

proud of. On the gathering they started to boast loudly of their courage.

Each wanted to take the biggest credit for the victory over the demons.

They burst with envy, hostility and discord.

Parama-satta (Supreme Power, God) decided rightful to first and foremost

destroy their pride. He appeared in the form of Yaksha (myth. Yaksha –

semi-god, the keeper of the treasure of Kubera; fact. one of the names of

God Kubera). Gods were surprised to see this shining appearance. Indra

asked Agni (god of fire) – «Bring your flame, so that we could see who it

is». Agni revealed the flame, approached the one, who has arrived and

asked him:

– Who are you?

– An who are you? – asked Yaksha.

– I am the keeper of the energy, incinerating the three worlds, AgniDeva.

– You are so powerful! Here’s the blade of grass. Do me a favor, burn it!

God took the energy inside and Agni failed to burn this blade of grass. He

shamefully hung his head and returned to the other semi-gods. All his idea

of own power disappeared. Then Indra has sent god Vayu (god of wind).

But Vayu failed even to move this blade of grass. He also returned with the

low head. When Indra went, God did not disparage him. Indra was

intelligent and smart. He understood everything. Thus the semi-gods

received knowledge that only the grace of God endows them with powers,

and they can control energies only until there’s God’s grace for that. Hence,

that energy and that power, which dwell in semi-gods like Vayu, Indra, etc.,

and through which they revive, illuminate, irrigate, and perform other jobs in

the Universe, this inconceivable energy is just a part of God’s energy.

Hence, it acts only by God’s grace. As different parts of one body cannot

work without mind, eyes cannot see, ears cannot hear, so without the grace

of God everything in the Universe becomes impossible.


Thus, all energies can be received only from God. He is the Supreme

Power. Even a leave doesn’t fall from the tree if there’s no His will for it.

That is why the duty of each one, who has power and strength, is to use

them correctly to realize the will of God. They shouldn’t be applied for any

other purposes. They should be always uses only according to the will of

God. Everything that has been given to us by God should be used to

realize His will, to serve Him, and to love Him. All our wealth, strength, and

mind should be devoted to serving the universal form of God. This is the

state of samarpana (presentation, initiation). We cannot know God, if we

are arrogant and haughty in our egoism. When our activity is dedicated to

God, then we will be able to earn His grace, and will be able to cognize

Him, i.e. to know His wonderful image together with all of His energies, to

know all of His power. This is complete knowledge, true knowledge, and

supreme knowledge.

-(5)- Tadejati tannaijati tad dure tadvantike

Tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyasya bahyatah

Supreme Lord walks and doesn’t walk. He is far away and at the same

time very close. He dwells inside everything, and still He is beyond

everything.

The unity of all kinds of contradictions is the characteristic quality of God.

Only in Him the simultaneous existence of mutually contradicting states,

qualities, and actions is possible. Thus is the greatness of his enormous

power. Having limited knowledge we cannot grasp the unity of these

contradicting notions. Our mind is limited. We want to understand God,

embrace Him with our limited mind. Some think He is nirakara (shapeless,

impersonal), and some believe he is sakara (having form, personal). He is

also called nirguna (not having any qualities), and saguna (having

qualities). He is beyond all guna: sattva - virtue, raja –passion and tamas –

ignorance, and having crated the trinity of these gunas, He enjoys them.

God walks. The word «to go» means motion, action. Every moment God is

busy creating, supporting and destroying all animate and inanimate objects.

To be in motion is the specific characteristic of the Universe. The Universe

appears and disappears. It is perishable. Take the smallest particle of the

Universe, and atom. There’s a nucleolus in the center with electrons

circulating around it. The Moon circulates round the Sun, and the Earth


circulates round the Sun. It is a closed circular process. All of the smallest

and the biggest objects in the Universe are in motion. This motion is the

greatest source of energy. If there were no motion, there would be no

kinetic energy. In the quiescent state there’s also static energy. God is the

Supreme Power. He is the embodiment of energy. Thus there’s motion in

Him as well. This statement has no contradiction. God moves, walks,

laughs, and sings. He is active in every way.

And with that He is inactive. Along with activity there’s always turmoil and

anxiety. There’s always an end to it. God has no turmoil, no anxiety, and no

concerns. He is completely satisfied and always rests in calmness. This is

His «inactivity». In His eternal spiritual abode and on the Earth – when

playing His games - to please His devoted bhaktas and free them from

many misfortunes God takes one of His saguna-sakara forms, i.e. avatar

(incarnation, birth) and plays His games. It is His «activity». Thus, in his

form nirguna-nirakara He is always motionless and rests in one place. This

is His «inactivity» –

Paritranaya sashrunam vinashaya cha dunkritam

Dharmasansthapanrathaya sambhavami yuge yuge

In order to create, destroy, establish and support religious principles it is

necessary to be active. Without this it would be impossible to take an

avatar. Thus, to take an avatar and please His devotees is God’s «activity».

Gods reveals Himself to His bhakta to such an extent to which the latter is

devoted to Him.

Jaki rahi bhavna jaysi hari murata dekhi tinha taysi

In his «Ramayana» Gosvami Tulsidast has also written

Taga binu chale sune binu kana

Karma binu karma kare vidhi nana

God enters all. He is everything. There’s no such place that would not be

filled with Him. He is beyond our understanding. The Earth, which we live

upon, is just a small planet of the Solar System. And our Sun is just one of

the innumerable stars of the Galaxy. All of them are hundreds of miles

away from each other. It is unknown how many such galaxies are there in

the outer space. But there an innumerable number of such cosmoses

contained in the core of God. As far as we can see there is sky. And this

sky is located on one of the hairs on the body of God. So as far as we can

reach in our ideas about Him, He will remain by far distant. It is impossible

even to imagine His true greatness. And on the contrary, He reveals

Himself very close to us. Not only close! He enters us – «Hrishenjurn


nishthati». You can reach God in your own heart. He is inside and outside.

Not a single place, not a single object, not a single moment exist unfilled

with Him. You don’t have to go far to reach HIm. You don’t have to go to

the forest or climb the mountains. He smiles in the utmost proximity to us –

«Mo ko kaha dhunrhe, me to tere pas he». He is so close, that we don’t

have to look for Him anywhere closer, and even

Dil ke aine me tasvir yar,

Jab japa gardan jhukai dekh li.

(The image is in the morrow of your soul, my dear.

You will see if you tilt your head just a little bit.)

Shruti say that atma (soul, Self) and Paramatma (supreme soul, supreme

Self, God) are like two bird sitting on one branch. Each of them has

beautiful feathering (gunas). They are friends. One of them is eating fruit

from this tree, and the other is looking with the feeling of tatast’hya

(neutrality). God observes how the man eats fruit, as sakhi (observer,

witness). Thus, atma and paramatma are very close to each other. That is

why many yogi and bhakti do not search for God outside. They search for

Him inside. Contemplation upon God inside yourself is directly related to

attention, concentration. God is very close to us, and namely, in our hearts.

God is omnipotent. Upon His will He may direct his energy wherever he

wants. He can take an avatar. Even if He comes in a form of material

energy, He can turn this material energy into spiritual one. This

transformation is absolutely natural and possible, and depends merely

upon His will. He is the source of all energies. His image, made of stone,

clay or wood can also be filled with His energy. In the modern imperfect

material world we cannot contemplate upon God because our sight is

imperfect. But still today there are bhakta, who can see God with their own

eyes. God shows mercy to His bhakta and accepts their love and service to

Him and to His senses accordingly. God (statue) is not an attempt to follow

the fashion. It is also a form of eternity. God approaches His bhakta as

close, as much and deep as bhakta is devoted to Him. «Ye Yat’ha mam

prapadyante tamst’hatayva bhajanyaham» – I reward a man to that

extent, to which he is devoted to Me, (Gita 4|11).

When atheist king Hiranyakashipu asked his son Prahlada:

– Where is your God? – the former replied:

– Where is he not! God is in everything. He is in you, in me, in the sword,

and in the pillar.

– So he should also be in this pillar?


– Undoubtedly! It’s because God is omnipresent. And He is present in this

pillar as well. So the king crushed the pillar to pieces. He was surprised to

see that from it came God Nrisimha (the fierce avatar of Vishnu, half man-

half lion). For Hiranyakashipu God was very far away, but for Prahlada He

was very close.

God never shows Himself to people, who are far away from faith and love

of Him, because their hearts are not pure. They are filled with envy,

hostility, hate, greed and other vices. He is very far away from such people.

But His devoted, loving bhakta can see Him every moment. The great

bhakta Surdas was blind. Once when he was walking down the road and

praying, he fell into a well. But he didn’t stop praying. The well stood in the

empty place, and there was no one beside. God appeared in front of Him,

pulled him out of the well, took a stick and started to show him the road.

When Surdas recognized Him, God started to disappear. Then Surdas

challenged Him –

Bahi chhurae jata hau nibalya jani ke mohi

Hridai se jyo javoge sabalya bakhanav mohe

(If I let go of your hand, will you leave my heart…)

No, God cannot leave the heart of His bhakta. Love of bhakta is so strong,

that God Himself serves him. For bhakta He is always close, always

beside. He’s constantly caring for their happiness.

In Gita God also says –

Bahirantashcha bhutanamacharam charameva cha

Sukshmatvattadavigyeyam durastham chantike cha tat

(Supreme Truth exists inside all of the living beings and outside of them,

moving and motionless. Because It exists in its subtle spiritual form, It is

beyond the power of the material sight or knowledge. Even though It is very

far away, It is also very close) (Gita 13|16)

God enters all animate and inanimate objects; He is inside and outside of

everything. He is all animate and inanimate existence. Being small as an

atom, he is incomprehensible. Being very close, He is at the same time

very far away.

Shvetashvatara-Upanishads (3|19) also says –

Apanipado jabano ahita pashyatyachakshuha sa shrinotyakarnaha

(Without legs and hands, He is fast and catching.

He sees without eyes, He hears without years)

«Its [paramatma] hands and legs, its eyes, heads, hands and years are

everywhere. Thus, paramatma exists, penetrating everything –


Sarvamavritya» (Gita 13|14) «There’s God in the heart of everyone –

Hridi sarvasya vishthitam» (Gita 13|18)

Notwithstanding all of the super nature, bhakta can reach God. He directly

enjoys His games. Some come to know that paramatma is inside

themselves through meditation, others by perfecting knowledge, and others

by working without attachment to the results of their activity –

Dhyanenatmani pashyanti kechidatmanamatmana

Anye sankhyena yogena karmayogena chapare (Gita 13|25)

God is visible, but it is necessary to become worthy of seeing Him. You

have to purify your sight. Who can see God? The one, who sees

paramatma, equally attendant to the individual soul in each body,

possesses the true sight –

Samam sarveshu bhuteshu tishthantam parameshvaram

Vinashvatsvavinashyantam yaha pashyati sa pashyati

(Gita 13|28)

Unless a man develops such vision – gyana-drishti – he cannot see God,

cannot understand His proximity. Bhakta has such vision. They see God in

all and feel love towards everything. They consider their duty to serve to

general benefit. They do not consider all animate and inanimate objects in

the world as separate. On the contrary, he understands that everything

dwells in paramatma and the whole universe originates from it. The

moment we gain such vision, we gain God; he approaches us as a friend.

This is called vision through the super natural eye [possibly here a third

eye].

God is less than a smallest and greater than the greatest. He is spread in

the outer space. He covers [i.e. guards, protects] each. Such is His grand

form. Arjuna (the hero of «Mahabharata») could see this form of God. God

is Antaryami (Internal Governor, Supreme Being, present in each creation

and governing all creations). The truth is that God guards each and

everyone from the inside and from the outside.

-(6)- Yastu sarvani bhutanyatmanyevanupashyati

Sarvabhuteshu chatmanam tato na vijugupsate

One, who sees everything connected to Supreme Lord, who sees all

beings as His integral parts, and sees the Supreme Lord in everything,

never feels gate towards anything or anyone.


All of the living beings dwell in paramatma. God covers everyone. As a

child becomes fearless when he is sitting in his mother’s lap and hiding in

her clothes, similarly every living being gets love and care of God, when he

is sitting in His lap. And not only any living being. God also dwells in the

inanimate objects as well. All that we see is paramatma. No place and no

substance are free from paramatma. As man masters this truth, he starts to

feel greater love towards all of the animate and inanimate objects. As man

loves God, the same love he feels towards all of the objects. He doesn’t

feel hate, envy, hostility, etc. towards anyone or anything. He considers

God to be his friend that is why all of the living beings are also his friends.

And if all are friends, well-wishers, then there’s even no issue about any

kind of hostility? Man starts to give respect, trust and love to everyone.

Siyaram mayasab jaga jani

Karau pranam jori jag pani

Such bhakta sees the image of his beloved God always, everywhere and in

everyone, and bows his head in reverence in front of each. God enjoys

everything. In Gita Lord Krishna says:

Sarvabutasthamatmanam sarvabhutani chatmani

Ikshate yogayuktatma sarvatra samadarshanah

Yo mam pashyati sarvatra sarva cha mayi pashyati

Tasyaham na pranashyami na pranashyami sa cha me na pranashyati

«A true yogi sees Me in all beings, and also sees every living being in Me.

In reality, self-actualized personality sees Me, the Supreme Lord,

everywhere and in everything. For the one, who sees me in everything and

everything in me, I am never lost, and he is never lost for Me» («Gita»

6|29-30)

As there are clouds in the sky, and there’s sky in the clouds, so Vasudeva

is in everything and everything is in Him.

Our father can take any look but we always recognize him and honor him.

Our mother can wear any clothes, but we have no difficulty recognizing her.

Similarly God appears in many forms: as the earth, as the sky, as the sun,

as the moon, as stars, as the sound of water flowing, as a scent of flowers,

as the humming of bees, as the silence of the mountains, as the depth of

the ocean – all of this is Him, His energy. God gives life to all of the living

beings and like a mother, He equally cares about everyone. Mother’s

tenderness is equal for all he children. Similarly the love of God is equally

distributed among all of the living beings. God enters all. Were it not so,

then He would not treat everyone equally. Similarly bhakta treats


everything and everyone with similar love. At this stage a particular close

friendly relations are established between God and bhakta. «Brahma

samhita» says: «I worship Lord, Govinda, whom God’s bhakta can always

see, whose eyes are moistened with the balm of love. He sees Him in his

eternal image of Shyamasundari, dwelling in the heart of bhakta». Thus,

Lord never disappears from the sight of bhakta, and bhakta never loses

concentration of his vision upon God. «Narada Pancharatra» says: «By

concentrating attention upon the transcedental form of God, pervasive and

standing above time and space, a man completely merges into the

thoughts of Krishna and then reaches the blissful state of transcedental

conversation with Him».

There are some bhakta who in accordance to their religion go to the

church temple, church or mosque, bow their heads respectfully in front of

the statues and worship God or pray for something. They think that God

dwells only in those places, only in those statues. When they go there they

become obsessed with love towards God. They believe that God dwells

only in that temple of mosque and do not feel love to Him in the other

places. These are common bhakta. This is the lowest level of bhakti. Such

bhakta are being called devoted-materialists. They try to break material

chains, in order to get to the spiritual level.

Bhakta of the middle level see the Supreme Lord, distinguish God’s

devotees, see the innocent, those who do not have knowledge of God, and

finally, they see atheists, who do not believe in God and hate His devotees.

Bhakta of the lowest level cannot distinguish these four types of people.

Bhakta of the middle level love God, serve Him. They are friends with the

other devotees of God, try to wake love of God that dwells in the hearts of

the innocent, and avoid atheists.

The position of bhakta of the superior level is different from the first two

levels. They see all in connection to the Supreme Lord. They do not make

differences between atheists and believers, and they recognize everyone

as an integral part of God. They equally look at the educated Brahman and

stray dog, because they understand that both come from God. Such bhakta

consider themselves friends to all of the living beings, they wish well for

everyone, and do well for all. For them there’s no difference between the

animate and inanimate, as they see God in both. Bhakta of such superior

level are called samadarshi, i.e. those who see God everywhere and in

everything, and that is why feel love towards everything and consider their


duty to serve general welfare. Bhakta referred to in the Upanishads is

exactly the bhakta of such level.

-(7)- Yismin sarvani bhutanyatmaivabhud vijanataha

Tatra ko mohah kah shoka ekatvamanupashyatah

In the understanding of those, who know the Supreme Lord well, for those

great sages, who have self-awareness, all of the living beings are equal to

paramatma. They start to constantly reveal this unity. In this state they do

not feel any illusions or anxiety.

All of the living beings are one with the Supreme Lord. Material nature

shows us an infinite number of forms of God. Wherever we look, we can

see God everywhere. The ability to see God everywhere is called

bhagavad-drishti. It is clairvoyance. It gives a man immense pleasure. A

man drifts on the waves of pleasure. Piece and satisfaction come into his

soul. Illusion and anxiety cannot penetrate it even for a moment. Such

great sages never fall under the spell of material things, as they understand

that all of them are perishable. So why should they develop attachment to

them?

All of the existing living beings are qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord,

as sparks of fire are fire, even if they carry significantly less warmth and

light, than the fire itself. Thus, a religious man considers fauna to be a part

of God, part of His energy. There’s no difference between the energy and

the source of energy. Basically, there’s no difference between warmth,

light, fire, etc. All of this is energy. The energy can be transformed from one

type into the other. Sun gives us light, but we also receive warmth from it.

Today it is possible to reach connection between great distances, due to

transformation of the energy of sound into the electromagnetic energy and

inversely, by transforming electromagnetic waves into sound, we can hear

the speaker at great distances. This transformation of energies is possible

because in essence they are one and the same. Thus, a human being is an

integral part of God. From the qualitative point of view all of the animate

and inanimate existence is similar to God. This results from the theory of

the «whole» – «Ishvara ansh jiv avinashi, chetan amal sahej sukharashi ».

There’s salt in the ocean, and there’s also salt in one drop of the ocean.

Taste and qualities of the ocean and its drop are the same. But the quantity

of salt in a drop is incomparable to its quantity in the whole ocean. If a living


being would be equal to the Supreme God in his qualitative and

quantitative characteristics that he would not be chained by material bonds.

However, notwithstanding his divinity, a man is not God. Even the semi-

Gods are not equal to God. Because the words «qualitatively same» should

not be understood as «a man is God, or a man is equal to God». There are

million of citizens in one country. Each has own identity, own interests, but

all of them belong to one nation. And there are no disputes with regards to

the issue of belonging to this nation. Similarly from the spiritual point of

view, God is the empire for all the living beings. This notion of a kind of

united state is called «to see everything qualitatively one». At the level of

atma all of the living beings are one.

There are clashes in the modern world, as here different interests

constantly clash against each other. The aim of each person is to receive

pleasure. But the difference in the human interests gives ground to hostility

and hate. As a result, a man cannot attain pleasure. The true center of joy

and pleasure is lost. We forget God. That is why we have to experience all

kinds of suffering. Who knows this true source of pleasure, he understands

that God is inside him and inside each and everyone. And thus all of his

conflicts disappear and he receives true pleasure. The son is like his father.

The entire nature has been created by God. Therefore, it is like Him.

Bhakta, who sees God everywhere, always feels his love. When there’s

love and tenderness in a family, then this family doesn’t notice the

drawbacks of its members. Moreover, a feeling of ownership is born here,

i.e. a feeling of attachment. Similarly if bhakta experiences family feelings

towards God, He becomes his most loving relative. At such conditions, God

also doesn’t pay attention to the drawbacks of bhakta and feels attachment

to him. Mundane tenderness caused by the sense of property and

attachment gives rise to ignorance, because is becomes limited, becomes

small, it is limitedly shared by a definite number of people. God’s love has

no boundaries. It is infinite. Love of God is spread around like a scent or

light. Bhakta, who loved God, spreads this love for all existence, as he sees

the object of his love in everything. Entwined in family relations, the soul is

lost in darkness, and a soul that enjoys divine love dwells in the light. Light

gives the ability to see. Thus divine loves gives the ability to see clearly.

Being limited, a family love is an obstacle to performing duties, as it causes

attachment and the sense of property, while a divine love, being infinite and

generous, not only doesn’t hinder performing duties but also helps them.


Bhakta is not concerned about anything, he is surrounded by carefree,

because he, who sees God in everything, treats everyone as his close

friends, and wishes wellness to everyone. He is not afraid of hostility, or

harm from anywhere. Fear is the cause of anxiety, and anxieties are like a

burial fire. The dead burns down in the burial fire, while the living burns in

the fire of anxiety every moment of his life. Anxiety is the reason of

changes that occur on the level of feelings, body, soul and mind. If such

changes do not happen, then a man grows pure, sinless, and the cause of

anxiety disappears. Anxiety is caused by ignorance and illusions. He, who

sees God in everything, is not subject to illusions, and therefore he doesn’t

feel anxiety. He is above all attachments and anxieties.

Where illusions reign, mind weakens; but where mind is strong, there’s no

place for illusion. Illusions cause a man not to know his duties, but he, who

is free from illusion, clearly knows his duty. In pure bhakta mind reigns, that

is why he knows that his duty is to see God in all, to perceive everything as

a form of God, and therefore, love everything and serve to the general

welfare. Clear understanding of own duty and alert mind indicate that

bhakta doesn’t experience any illusions, because mind is counteracting

illusions.

Bhakta loves everyone, because he sees God in everyone. As a result he

is never in conflict with anyone. And that is why in his soul he doesn’t feel

hostility or hate towards anyone. Yearning for something or a desire to get

rid of something undesirable are both caused by desires. There are two

types of a desire to reach something: accumulation and pleasure. Desire

to accumulate is greed, and desire for pleasure is lust. Obstacles on the

way to get rid from the undesirable originate hate. These are very simple

reasons why life of common people is filled with struggle. Lust, hate, greed

are called the road to hell. Yearning for wealth, land, glory, respect, high

rank, power is all greed. When greed grows a man doesn’t pay attention

whether actions are good or bad. His mind loses its power. To reach the

desired he engages himself in a multitude of conflicts, spending his time,

property and powers. He is buried under a heap of misfortunes. His friends

turn away from him. Hostility generates hostility. This is the cause of all

suffering. Similarly only illusions are a reason that man is subject to various

vices. If there were no illusions, there would be no vices.

And on the contrary, if there’s no greed, lust and hate, if material sufferings

do not stain the soul, then there would be no illusions. A soul of a person,

who sees God in everything is pure and is devoid of any vices.


When bhakta sees God in each and everyone, then he sees the

drawbacks of other s no more. He, who sees the drawbacks of others,

becomes proud of himself, while pride is the obstacle on the way to God

Thus, bhakta doesn’t see the drawbacks of others and, seeing the divinity

of existence, is always in the blissful state. Even a shadow of sorrow

cannot touch him.

Attaining of something – sanyoga (union, unanimity) – brings the feeling of

happiness. And on the contrary «separation» from this thing – viyogatlbyj –

brings sorrow. If God is in all, then there’s no use in efforts to unite with

Him. He is inside us and around us. By all means He exists everywhere

and always. That is why viyoga is simply impossible with relation to God,

and only sanyoga is possible. Thus, sanyoga fills the soul with satisfaction,

and the absence of viyoga eliminates all kinds of suffering. According to

«Gita» (2|62-63) – «Contemplating upon the objects related to feelings, a

man develops attachment to them. Lust is born from attachment, and hate

is born from lust. Hate brings complete delusion, delusion covers memory.

When memory is in eclipse, mind is lost. When mind is lost, a person again

falls in the well of material world». Thus the reasons for human fall are the

objects appealing to feelings.

«Gita» (2|64-65) also says that a person, who is free from any attachments

and antipathy, perceiving different objects with controlled feelings, receives

true joy. Who is satisfied in this way never feels any suffering – «Prasade

sarvaduhkhanam hanirasyopajayate, prasannachetaso hyashu

buddhiha paryavtishthate». When bhakta develops a divine vision, then

by getting close to God they receive spiritual satisfaction, pure piece, and

no more experiences any sorrow or suffering.

When a man suffers? When he divides all people into two parts, and one

part he regards as his own, and the other as strangers.

He feels love and attachment towards those, whom he considers his

family, people of his class, his party etc., and always wishes them well. In

turn this generates sorrow, grief, anxiety, fear, worries, etc. Exactly this

idea of «native and alien» is the root of all suffering. He is not interested in

the well-being of those, whom he considers «alien». Besides he feels fear

and anxiety that these «aliens» will harm «natives». Even if there is no

such danger, he still fears the very thought of such possibility. In reality, if a

person seeks protection in the material world, then these suffering never

leave him, and he will suffer from delusion and sorrow. Being continuously

in the state of sorrow and anxiety, a person cannot fulfill his duty; he cannot


control his world and actions. However, this doesn’t happen to those, who

seek protection of the Supreme God. We face two kinds of things: true and

false. True things are permanent, eternal, they never cease to exist, and

nothing can happen to them, that is why there is no need to worry about

them. False things are transient; they collapse according to the law of

nature. To worry about them is indeed foolishness and ignorance. Thus, to

worry about both the former and the latter is ignorance.

Circumstances that we face are the results of our actions. Whether

favorable or unfavorable, a situation begins and ends. It has not been

before and it will be no more. The moment between before and after is also

never lasting. That is why it is foolish to feel joy or sorrow with regards to

the favor or disfavor of the situation.

Thus, we see that happiness and joy, happiness and sorrow, etc., occur as

a result of the attitude towards the world as true. He who treats each and

everyone with equal respect, who doesn’t divide people into «native and

alien», he has no reasons for sorrow or anxiety. For his everyone is

«native». He is equally attached to all; he equally cares about their well-

being. This is the reason why he is impartial and fears nothing. He, who

fears nothing, has piece in his soul, and he, who considers everyone to be

his «native» and treats everyone with equal love, he is happy. The basis to

treat all people as «native» is to see the image of God in everyone, and

accept everyone as His likeness. And if God reveals Himself to us in the

multitude of forms, then everything becomes divine, the entire animate and

inanimate world gets its true form. The root of distinction disappears. This

is unity. God is very close to us, He is inseparable from us, and He is our

most close friend. When He, our loving God, plays His games with each of

us, then everyone becomes close, becomes a friend. The reason for

conflict, hostility, hate, anxiety and sorrow disappears. That is why religious

people, who see God everywhere, never fall into delusion; they are never

touched by sorrow, as their alert mind enables them to treat everyone with

love. They have no cause for delusion, no cause for sorrow. They exist in

love. They are always full of joy.

-(8)- Sa paryagachchhukramakayamavrana –

Masnaviram shuddhamapapaviddham

Kavirmanishi paribhuh svayambhuryathatathyato


Such person truly should know the greatest of all, bodiless, omniscient,

impeccable, without veins, pure and unblemished, self-sufficient,

philosopher, and one who from times immemorial has been performing

everybody’s wishes.

The form of Supreme God is transcedental. It has nothing in common with

the forms of material nature. He is beyond boundaries. Three gunas of

material nature, virtue, passion and ignorance, enchain a living being into a

body. («Gita» 14|5). Guna of virtue (satva) is most pure, as its subjects

receive happiness and knowledge. In the light of satva-guna we correctly

perceive spiritual and material things. Guna of passion (rajas) brings

passionate desires and lust. This guna is related to the attachment to

activity with the dominance of yearning. Thus, arousing from ignorance the

guna of (tamas) originates delusion, madness, laziness and sleep, fettering

a man. («Gita» 1|46-8). Paramatma is outside these three gunas. Its body

is not material. That is why it is called «akayam» (not incarnated), bodiless,

it is beyond the laws of nature.

God is «avranam» – impeccable. He has no vices or drawbacks.

Drawbacks appear is something is missing. Vices appear where there is

lack of something, in void. God is absolutely complete, he doesn’t lack

anything. God is full. Whatever amount of energy He gives, He remains full.

Therefore, He has no vices, He has no drawbacks. If something has

drawbacks, it collapses wrecks and dies. The Supreme Lord never and

under no circumstances has any drawbacks. His power never deteriorates.

That is why He is called inviolable and eternal. In reality destruction and

collapse occur because of vices. God is absolutely pure, sinless, and

impeccable. Decay [here the word vran is used, which means a wound,

sore, that gives the word avranam, which means one that has no

drawbacks] occurs because of vices. God has no vices, which is why he is

called impeccable (avranam).

People are incarnated in bodies. Blood flows in these bodies. Their hearts

beat. Their flesh is has imperfections. Gita regards these imperfections as

heart diseases and veins as their cause. They make us victims of lust,

hate, greed, and other tendencies. They are controlled by mind. These

trends force us «to dance to their pipe», make us foolish. Because of these

tendencies we cannot calm down. This is human poverty. Poverty is

caused by excessive desires. That is why yoga is called an obstacle on the

way of trends. Material world is the game of tendencies. Maya reveals itself

in this game. That is why God is «asnaviram», i.e. not having veins. He is


beyond vices generated by the vascular and nervous systems. He has no

tendencies or disturbances, He rests in eternal piece. Our feelings create

disturbances through our vascular and nervous systems. But God is

beyond all disturbances. That is why He always dwells in appeasement and

he is ananda-svarupa (essence of bliss). Passionate desire is the root of all

misfortunes. With no desires there are no misfortunes, no suffering. God is

mangala-svarupa (essence of happiness)

Mangalam bhagavan vishnuh mangalam garurhdhvajah

Mangalam pundarikaksham mangalaya tano harih

To bring happiness to each and everyone is the nature of God. That is why

from times immemorial he fulfills all wishes.

Worshipping ignorance

and proud of knowledge -(9)-

Andham tamah pravishantiYe vidyamupaste

Tato bhuya iva te tamo ya u vidyayam patah

Those that worship ignorance will fall to the darkest corners of ignorance,

but those who are proud of their knowledge will fall into a greater darkness.

Vidya (knowledge) is what gives freedom. Spiritual activity or knowledge,

helping to cognize paramatma, is vidya. Those who are far from such

activity or knowledge exist in avidya (ignorance). To know that your heart is

filled with the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God, not to share

identity and society means to have knowledge. Then the whole world

becomes divine, and God is spread across the entire Universe. There’s no

hypocrisy, pretence, arrogance, and ego in a person. Inside him, as well a

outside him, there is only purity and light. He is not limited. Now he can be

compared to the ocean, as he is boundless. Thus, by touching this

knowledge, man is filled with knowledge. This is vidya, this is knowledge,

and this is light.

Knowledge is filled with light. Sun is the symbol of knowledge, as it gives

light, spreads it. Sunshine eliminates darkness and saves all of the animate

and inanimate existence from it. Sun is not secretly hiding the fruit of its

sunshine and is not mistaken in the way it shares it. It doesn’t discriminate

its light and doesn’t deprive either good or evil of it. Those, who apply any

kind of discrimination, worship ignorance. A man, filled with concerns due


to his yearning for pleasure and sensual satisfaction, falls into the abyss of

attachment, which is filled with the stench of greed and limitation. A person,

attached to pleasure, directs all of his actions to receive pleasure. Like a

madman he is rushing day and night in the attempts to provide himself with

happiness and comfort on this Earth, he carries out a multitude of religious

ceremonies or resorts to various tricks to provide himself with happiness in

the afterlife. This obsessing idea to acquire happiness in this life and in the

afterlife is a «present» of ignorance. It is called maya. Ignorance is maya.

Hate, lust, greed, and envy are the products of ignorance. Body is

important, but it is not all. When we are limited with concerns about

physical pleasure, then this delusion and limitation is caused by ignorance.

It produces nothing but delusion and limitation. Our development is directly

related to our pattern of thinking. In reality thoughts form a personality.

Thus a man, who is wandering the roads of ignorance, undoubtedly,

wanders in darkness. No material development can give anyone piece.

Happiness and piece turn into a mirage.

Thus, a man, who became slave of his desires, always exists in anxiety.

Wishes are never fulfilled. They are endless. As soon as one is fulfilled, a

new one is already born. That is why we are chased with anxiety.

Concerned mind cannot work in the right direction. If a wish is not fulfilled, a

man suffers. Whatever are these desires: a desire of happiness, wealth,

child, power, respect – they always bring suffering. Desires originate hate,

greed and lust. These are enemies, constantly torturing human souls. They

can bring a person hellish suffering already in this life. Thus a man, who

has tendencies only for guna of ignorance, is never happy and never

receives piece. True piece only comes when a man is free from desires.

Desires bring feelings into motion. They blind feelings. This blindness is

called by the darkness of ignorance. «There’s happiness in pleasure»,

«body is everything», «there’s piece in material development» – in fact,

such statements seem to be attempting to pass a lie as truth. Such false

ideas destroy lives. This is not the right course of life; this is not its goal. A

man will never reach his goal; a wandering man will never reach his

destination. He continues to wander. People, who completely prefer the

guna of ignorance, also find themselves in similar state. Nothing but

blindness is to seek happiness not where it is but somewhere else. It is

unnaturally to look for something in the darkness by random. This is the

case of one, who worships ignorance. They are eternally stuck in the damp

of impenetrable darkness. Material nature consists of three gunas: tama,


raja, sat (ignorance, passion, and virtue). These gunas enchain the living

being in a body. Guna of virtue also enchains a soul by attachment to

happiness, to knowledge (Gita 14|5). Even the dominance of guna of virtue

cannot free from the bonds. Golden or silver chains are chains still.

Similarly is doesn’t matter, which guna performs as chains. These are still

chains. And in this case freedom is impossible. Until there’s freedom,

knowledge will not give any fruit – «Sa vidya ya vimultaye». Guna of

passion engages a man into karma activity (i.e. activity, performed for the

result)– «Tamastvagyanajam viddhi mohanam sarvadehinam» (Gita

14|8). Ignorance generates darkness. It is the cause of delusion for all of

the living beings. It chains the soul with madness, laziness, and sleep. If

the guna of passion prevails it generates intense attachments, tendency for

karma-inducing activity, irresistible yearnings, and uncontrolled strong

desires. The ascendancy of guna of ignorance brings darkness, inertia,

madness and illusion. That is why great saints advise to suppress gunas of

passion and ignorance, and to develop guna of virtue. Guna of virtue opens

the door to purification of mind. However, true happiness lies even further.

To understand paramatma, which is independent from these three gunas,

means to gain the opportunity to become independent from them as well.

Knowledge relieves from the chains of gunas, and ignorance causes these

chains. Ignorance generates passion, knowledge generates impartiality.

Dieing in guna of ignorance a man is born in the kingdom of animals

(«Gita» 14|15). Activity in guna of ignorance leads to foolishness (Gita

14|17). These words said by Lord Krishna are cited in this Upanishad in

order to open the truth that «Andham tamah pravishanti ye

vidyamupaste» – those that worship ignorance will fall to the darkest

corners of ignorance.

Isha-Upanishad also indicates another bitter truth. Those, who take pride

in their knowledge, are doomed for even a lower fall. They are proud that

they have read shastra. They have read shastra but haven’t understood the

essence of the words that were written there. These so-called «learned-

men» study shastra only for self-profit, and to satisfy own ego. For self-

profit they deceive and mislead other people. Their sermons generate even

greater delusion and destroy faith of common listeners. Such people spill

words and proclaim themselves as gyani, sages and mahatmas (mahatma

– a great soul). They are so hypocrite that they even claim themselves to

be gods. They perfectly understand that they are very far from divinity, и

and still call themselves gods, to please their ego. Merely for own


satisfaction they misleads others with lies, thus committing a great sin. A

person, who rejects instructions given in shastra and acts according to his

own whim, cannot reach perfection, happiness, or the highest goal (Gita

16|23). To act ignoring the instructions of shastra, guided merely by

personal interest, is ignorance. In reality such people are very proud that

they have read shastra and, notwithstanding that they are filled with lust,

greed and hate, they elevate their outward activity to the supreme rank.

They believe they are the best, the greatest, and find citations from shastra

for each good or bad action they commit. Common people can see only

their outward actions, but they cannot look into their inner world. The most

disgusting feelings flourish inside such people, but on the outside they are

known as hermits and ascetics. Such situation stimulates pride inside these

people and misleads them to willful behavior. Gradually all of their qualities

[qualities of their character] turn into vices. Their self-denial turns into lust,

into attachment. For such people degradation is an inevitable outcome.

They acquire neither siddhi, nor peace. In fact, purification of soul [internal

world, heart] is siddhi. Merely pure knowledge of shastra cannot purify a

human soul. They act, motivated by own desires, and tortured by internal

lust and hate. In suffering they never attain happiness. Being proud of the

false knowledge of shastra, they cannot understand paramatma. On the

contrary, they decay and collapse even lower, than those, who simply do

not know shastra. The cause of their fall is hypocrisy and ego generated by

vainglory. Ego prevents a man from hearing the voice of God and that is

why he falls. A small and weak ego doesn’t cause birth and death until it

faces three gunas of material nature, as mainly contact with these gunas

enchains – karanam guna sangosya sadasadyonijanmasu (Gita 13|22).

People, who are keen on studies of Veda [here the Sanskrit word vidya-

rata is used], have an extremely great ego and they cannot withstand

temptation to contact gunas of material nature. Everything what is acquired

through severe penance, study of shastra, sacrifice, pilgrimage, etc. is

connected to ignorance and therefore doesn’t last forever, is perishable.

«Acharahinam na punanti deva» (Vasishtha-smriti). Only practical

application of knowledge from shastra is capable to purify a human soul.

Merely by reading advices of the great sages without their practical

application it is impossible to gain happiness.

According to the three gunas of material nature there are three types of

knowledge, activity and performer of this activity. Knowledge by which a

man sees the uniform spiritual nature in all of the living beings is knowledge


in guna of virtue. Such person is free from raga-dvesha. When this

knowledge is free from attachment, a man acquires «true knowledge».

Knowledge that asserts that the form of the living being is determined by

the body in which it dwells is called knowledge in guna of passion.

Knowledge that generates attachment to activity and far from truth belongs

to guna of ignorance. Activity in guna of ignorance is generated by illusion,

and this is action for pleasure. This action is generated by bondage. And a

man, performing actions that contradict directions from shastra, who is

materialistic, stubborn, mendacious, ingenious in insulting others, lazy,

dismal and sluggish, acts in guna of ignorance (Gita 18|19-28).

Disreputable thoughts generate unbecoming behavior. In turn unbecoming

behavior feeds disreputable thoughts. Ruin waits for those, who possess

qualities of aseers and are arrogant, malignant, and lowest of all people

(Gita 16|20). This is true beyond doubt. The whole question is about

thoughts. If thoughts are pure then behavior is also pure. Veda knowledge

of high moral standards brings happiness. People, who are full of ego,

arrogance, lust and anger in Gita God calls lowest of all people (Gita 16|18-

19). Being in constant concerns and anxiety, lost in the net of illusions, a

man develops strong attachment to sensual pleasures and falls to hell (Gita

16|16). There’s never an end to the suffering of such people. Because of

the false interpretation of shastra they spread lies and mislead others. This

is a great sin.

In «Shanti-parva» (chapter of Mahabharata) such famous «experts of

shastra», and religionists, that learn shastra by heart, by being imprisoned

by greed they kill their mind and continuously suffer, are also censured.

Giving up to the power of vices and anger, they sleek outwardly, but on the

inside they are very cruel. Their condition can be compared to the foul well.

These people use religion as a cover to set lies across the world; these low

men spread religious lies and destroy the world. Armed with arguments and

logic, they stand on a very evil way, and being under the influence of own

desires and ignorance, start to destroy laws established by virtuous people.

This is how true religion is distorted, and in this distorted variant it starts to

spread. Such hypocrites destroy religion to satisfy own desires by lying to

people and undermining their faith. These so-called scientists are even

worse than those, who enjoy material benefits. Their attachment to the

objects of pleasure brings harm to the whole humanity. You should beware

of this kind of people, carrying the flag of faith, because their hypocrisy is

very attractive. They bring even greater harm than ignorance. A true expert


on Veda never deviates from worthy behavior. He is ready to help each and

everyone; he is a close friend to everyone and is ready to sacrifice all for

the benefit of others –

Sarvopakarino virah sarvadharmanupalakah

Sarvabhutahitashchayv sarvadeyashch bharata

One, who is lit by the light of knowledge, goes the road of the great

ancestors, adheres to the worthy behavior, never brings on fear in anyone,

shows no anxiety, is always on the right way and always follows ahimsa

(ahimsa – учение о ненасилии). He takes the view that happiness and

unhappiness, love and hostility, benefit and harm, life and death are equal.

He is not showing joy if he’s got luck and is not depressed when he faces

failures. Communication with such people is very beneficial. Condition of

people, who carry the flag of false faith, can be called a misery, as they put

their followers in trouble.

Because the abovementioned so-called experts of shastra do not

understand the essence of shastra, they merely resort to the number of

descriptive words from scriptures. They do not believe in the infinity and

omnipresence of God. By word of mouth they state that God is omnipotent

and controls everything, but their actions contradict these statements.

What’s the use of such knowledge if it doesn’t show in behavior?

Knowledge is what automatically passes into lifestyle and behavior. God is

omnipresent, He dwells in every heart – to state such things and in the

meanwhile to seed hatred in the hearts, exploit others, not feeing

compassion for the suffering of others – makes these statements

senseless. If we see a pundit, preaching «Ramayana» day and night, and

arguing about the size of dakshina (dakshina – payment to Brahmans for

performance of religious ceremonies), if we see a religionist, constantly

glorifying the deeds of Sri Rama and Sri Bharata (heroes of «Ramayana»)

and are fighting with own brother for each piece of land, we feel sorry. Such

people are called here vidya-rata.

Once one mahatma preaching in Vrindavan. He brought benefit to a great

number of people. His students respected him. Once when he was

returning home after a sermon, he saw a rat on the road. It ran across the

road and fell into a drain ditch. It floundered trying to get out. Mahatma

stopped in hesitation. If he was going to save a rat he would undoubtedly

dirty his clothes in the ditch, but if he wasn’t going to do this a rat would die.

This time a boy returning from the sermon was passing by. He saw

Mahatma standing by the edge of the road; the boy came closer and saw a


rat, floundering in the ditch. Without a second of hesitation he jumped into

the ditch. He pulled the rat out, put it to the ground and climbed out himself.

Tears ran down the cheeks of mahatma. The boy started to worry. Who

could have hurt mahatma? Folding hands in reverence he said: «I must

have hurt you. Could you please, forgive me? ». Crying Mahatma started to

kiss the boy’s feet. «My child, – he said, – you are the real guru (spiritual

teacher), and not me. You have no doubts. I have just made a two-hour

sermon about equal compassion to all of the living beings. And when I was

given the opportunity to reveal compassion and mercy to this living being, I

started to think of my clothes. My son, you have opened my eyes. I was

just doing an idle talk».

Mahatma was true. He repented his weakness. But the majority of people,

who have wrong knowledge, believe that justification of own mistakes,

unworthy and sinful actions with the words from shastra is erudition. They

have neither love, nor humility, nor the sense of duty, nor purity in their

behavior. All of them are egoists and arrogant man. Having shown own

ignorance they afterwards direct their eloquence to make fools of others

and thus correct own foolishness. These people are very dangerous for

society. They obstinately lead people in that direction they believe to be

right. Having burdened others with own judgments born from ego, they

believe that thus they care for happiness of others. This brings enormous

harm. They live in darkness and force others believe this darkness to be

light. Isha-Upanishads considers such people to be the greatest sinners

and talks about their low fall. Those, who worship ignorance, because of

own ignorance bring more harm to themselves than to the society, but such

self-proclaimed experts on shastra carry along societies and states to a

deep abyss. That is why the Upanishads say that they will fall to even the

darker fields of ignorance, than those who know nothing of shastra.

Nowadays this statement from the Upanishads is even more topical than

before. Present-day society has moved far in its development. The sphere

of education has also expended significantly. So what is the result of such

expansion in education? The world has merged into even greater suffering

and anxiety. Because a man spends all of his energy to attain material

wellbeing, his development became one-sided. A true source of conciliation

is ignored. That is why a man has become self-interested and self-

absorbed. As a result countries have developed unnecessary competitive

and unstable relations. Developed countries trade with the developing and

backward countries on self-beneficial terms, and under pretence of


providing satisfaction to human needs buy products and natural resources

from these countries. Society cannot provide all people with equal level of

life. Slogans only cannot provide equality. Equality is directly connected to

actions and attitudes, while today’s education initially generates completely

the opposite conditions. Everything that is there in the nature and the world

is the gift of God. But we decided that we have the right to command all of

this and started to break all possible rules. When we become aware that

everything belongs to God and that everybody may use anything, then this

will put an end to all conflict. The example of such relations is clearly shown

in the first chapter of this Upanishads. Thus, education with the tendency

towards material development is empty and extremely dangerous. That is

why a human being is developing in the wrong way. The example in the

first mantra of this Upanishads doesn’t explain the preconditions of the

present-day industrial, economic, social and national anxieties. The route of

present-day anxieties is in the fact that every man believes that all of the

natural wealth belong only to him or to his «close» people and nobody else.

This is at least revealed in relations. Such delusions generate suffering. In

the words of Gita, all of us are murhi (silly and ignorant) (Gita 7|15). This is

avidya. And with it we can only fall lower and lower. If a human being is no

more human, he becomes a machine, and walks in darkness his whole life.

He cannot find piece and happiness.

In the modern material world sensual satisfaction has become the key

purpose of life. It causes the situation when aversion and hostility are

growing between people, class groups, and countries. Everywhere around

there’s only instability and tension. You cannot see peace or happiness

anywhere. This happens because material prosperity is put as priority. This

is avidya. According to the Upanishads, those, who think that material,

mundane things are the priority and get attached to them as well as to the

perishable body, fall into the darkest corners of ignorance. At those levels

of life where feelings ad emotions are ruling «darkness» is hunting. Animals

tend to submit to feelings. Such people become like animals. There’s no

end to their desires, and all of their life they follow them. They are doomed

to anxiety. All that is opposite to the search for the Absolute truth in the

form of Paramatma is ignorance. Pride, haughtiness, arrogance, anger,

roughness, and ignorance are qualities characteristic of aseers. The guna

of tamas is born from ignorance and with it growing the world grows

conflicts, discords, and wars. Guna of ignorance fetters all of the living

beings with madness, laziness, and sleep. Guna of ignorance covers


knowledge with a veil – «Gyanamavritya tu tamah». And then knowledge

chooses the wrong goal. When guna of ignorance is successful in its

activity then a man causes not only own destruction but also destruction of

the whole world. Such people lead the world to the edge of destruction.

Nowadays with the help of such people, who hold material development as

priority, nuclear weapons are being accumulated. Russian has such an

amount of nuclear weapons, so why America shouldn’t have more? Rivalry

on the bases of mutual fear leads to the accumulation of the greater

amount of nuclear weapons. Any moment such bastards can use these

weapons to fulfill savage instincts. They have a looming threat of a «cosmic

war». Modern scientific and technical development pushes us to a fall

every moment. The reason to this is the despotic tendency of people with

the qualities of aseers. That is why science without connection to spirituality

is regarded as only bringing misfortune and it is considered to be

unacceptable. This is avidya. What doesn’t lead to freedom from

incarnation, what doesn’t clean the road to peace, what doesn’t develop life

energy is avidya, ignorance. And who worships this ignorance can fall into

a dry well. Such people are blind and are grounding only upon own

demonic tendencies [tendencies of aseers]. Conflicts, tensions, envy,

hostility, hypocrisy, greed, instability, hate, violence, etc. that exist in the

modern world – all of these are forms of guna of ignorance. Those, who

worship ignorance, are blind. Submitting to guna of ignorance they are

entering a dark cave and destroying themselves. That is why the future of

humanity is covered with the dark cloud and it will never be filled with light.

The peculiar characteristic of mind in guna of ignorance is that it thinks and

understands things in the wrong way. Mind, accepting lawlessness for

religion, bad actions for duties, accepts unhappiness for happiness, and

when falling it carries along others into abyss. By following the blind guide

you can only come to the abyss and death. This is the sad end of

worshipping ignorance.

Aspiration to satisfy feeling is generated by the present-day material

prosperity, which cannot be the goal of human life. Satisfaction of feelings

is the animals’ lot. Nowadays people in the civilized society lead the

animal-like lives, conditioned by their tendencies of this kind. Nowadays

even in developed countries violence and sexual dissoluteness, murder

and deception dominate. Society stripped of faith is doomed to this.

Society, stripped of God, directed only to satisfaction of feelings, and

ornamented with modern education, is as dangerous as a jewel on the


head of a venomous cobra. Development of an atheist science can be

compared to ornamentation of a deceased. Modern humanity is like a

corpse. Actually, it is very ugly, hiding it’s true face beyond the veil of

education and revealing awareness only about material existence.

Feelings are not everything. Feelings strays from God, leads a man into

delusion. But mind is higher than feelings, reason (intelligence) is higher

that mind, and the soul is higher that intelligence. When ignorance

entangles us in feelings, delusion gets into mind. Then the majority of

delusions penetrate into intelligence. Ignorant reason is also helpless

facing them. The soul is a source of pleasure. Defying soul it is impossible

to keep a human face, or to get rid of the sickness of mind. The true

education shows a way to self-awareness, to God. Today it’s not

happening. That’s why everywhere there’s darkness of greed, anxiety, and

hostility.

People, possessing such false knowledge can be of several types: 1)

vedavadarata, 2) mayapahrita, 3) asurbhavashrita 4) naradhama.

Vedavadarata are those who pretend to be very knowledgeable in Vedic

literature, they constantly talk on and on, but because they do not

understand the essence of this literature, they apply their own opinions and

ideas to Vedic hymns. The object of Veda study is the Person of God. But

these people get stuck in rituals, and spend time only to reach mundane

happiness. A wandering man falls astray even more. He moves away from

God even further. The main goal of all religions is to help people return to

God, to evoke love to Him inside of human hearts. Vedavadarata do

completely the opposite and are constantly busy preparing new chains for

people. Achievement of heaven and suchlike are the hidden types of

material desires. They are inseparable from desire to satisfy feelings.

Vedavadarata interpret Veda in their own way, neglecting the opinion of the

great acharya thus drag others in delusion by spreading this kind of false

knowledge.

Such people particularly need this mantra of «Isha-Upanishads» and are

considered very dangerous for society. These under-developed and

hypocritical people are even more dangerous than those, who do not know

Veda at all, because they bring more harm to humanity.

Those, who proclaim themselves Gods and deceitfully force common

people to worship them, belong to the category of «mayapahrita».

Hiranyakashipu and demons alike also forced their subjects to worship

them. Actually such people are also victims of demonic tendencies and


subject to the influence of guna of ignorance. People with demonic

tendencies [tendencies of aseers] are the malicious enemies of humanity.

All of these people, living in illusion of false knowledge, are condemned in

this mantra of «Isha-Upanishads». They are called ‘those who live in hellish

darkness (in ignorance).

Vidya (knowledge) is the form of God, it is light. Where there is anxiety,

destruction, fear and yearning for pleasure, where there are only slaves to

own desires, there’s no knowledge. Lack of knowledge is darkness, but

distorted knowledge is even deeper darkness. A man needs true

knowledge to find happiness and peace.

Fruit of Knowledge -(10)-

Anya devahurvidyayanyadahuravidyaya

Iti shushruma dhiranam ye nas tad vichanakshire

The great rishi have understandably explained us that the process of

knowledge perfection leads to one result, and cultivation of ignorance to the

other.

A true gyani, a true pandit and scientist is the one, who has found himself,

who has put his feelings under control of mind, has put his mind under

control of intelligence, has put his intelligence under control of his soul, has

studied the nature of his soul, has become aware of God in his heart as a

close friend, and has become aware of the essence of spreading of

paramatma in the universe. All knowledge different from this one is nothing

but ignorance.

True knowledge that gives supreme fruit is the ability to differentiate the

eternal and perishable things, refusal from all impermanent, which is the

means of receiving pleasure in the earthly life and after death, discrete and

sinless lifestyle, and study of God in his form of sat-chit-ananda in all

possible ways.

The supreme aim in life is finding God. There is no greater benefit than

finding God. To find His true form by God’s grace – through contemplation

upon the image of God – means to find true knowledge. Knowledge is light.

And the face of God is full of light. To merge your inner light with this infinite

and pervasive light is spiritual activity, and its result is dissolution in the

divine light. I.e. true knowledge is knowledge with the help of which you can


understand the essence of the Supreme God, paramatma. Knowledge, with

the help of which a man becomes aware of eternal essence [paramatma]

in every living being is pure, true knowledge. One, who has received true

knowledge, can generate neither raga-dvesha, nor the feeling of «mine and

yours». Knowledge, which puts material body above all, belongs to guna of

ignorance, they are considered to be null and void, and you should reject

them.

Gita (18|49-55) has a detailed description of true gyani:

Asakta buddhih sarvatra jitatma vigatasprihahaа

Naishkarmya siddhim paramam sannyasenadhigachchhati

Who is free from attachments, who suppresses his passions and

emotions, received the ability to «inactivity». Who longs for solitude and

asceticism with pure mind, is free from raga-dvesha, has rejected egoism,

lust, anger, and greed, etc. and has become still and impartial, is able to

understand Brahma, to understand the Supreme Lord.

Brahmabhutah prasannatma na shochati na kankshati

Samah sarveshu bhuteshu mdbhaktim labhate param

Who has reached this state of brahmabhuta (the state of union with the

Absolute. Brahmabhuta is the one, who became brahman), never grieves

and never has any desires. He equally treats all of the living beings. Such

person becomes worthy to serve God.

Samaduhkhasukha svastah samaloshatashmakan chanah

Tulya priyapriyo dhirastulya nindatmasamstutih

Manapamanayostulyastulyo mitraripakshayoh

Sarvarambhaparityagi gunatitah sa uchyate

Who is looking inwards and equally regards happiness and misfortune, for

whom stones and gold are the same, who equally perceives praise and

critics, honor and dishonor, who equally treats friends and enemies, who

doesn’t start upon any activity with the purpose to accumulate wealth or to

receive pleasure, can be defined as one who has defied gunas of material

nature. True knowledge gives equality. Equality is harmony, true

understanding of God. Inequality originates from ignoranceа, i.e. from

avidya, while equality originates from knowledge, i.e. from vidya.

True knowledge, gives supreme fruit, and namely, sadhak has no pride, no

attachment to feelings and fruit of activity, and performs his duties

according to shastra. This leads to destruction of all of his bad qualities and

wrong behavior. Action to satisfy desires creates chains and conditions

impossibility of freedom from suffering of births and deaths, while results of


actions free from such intentions brings freedom from all suffering. Fruit of

true knowledge and correct actions are wonderful and lead to

understanding God. In Gita Lord Krishna (13|8-12) said about the ways to

achieve knowledge and recommends the following.

1) When you perfect yourself do not regard others inferior or worse than

you are. To get knowledge a person has to be attentive to all and treat

everyone with equal respect. True knowledge teaches modesty, it doesn’t

teach to despise others.

2) you should not strive for knowledge only to receive name and fame. You

should not treat knowledge as a means to become famous. «I am a very

religious man, my thoughts and actions are pure and sinless» – who poses

as such, is merely a pretender. Such pretence is a dangerous enemy to

knowledge. Desire to demonstrate, yearning for fame and glory prevent

from getting knowledge and are an obstacle on the way to Brahman.

3) Who wants to get knowledge, should not bring anxiety to others either

with actions or thoughts. Not making anyone suffer, not bringing anyone

harm either through words, actions, or thoughts is ahimsa, nonviolence.

You should reject from being violent, supporting violence of others or

advocating violence committed by somebody. The main cause of violence

is greed, lust and hate. To support nonviolence in your behavior you should

reject these three main causes. To be always busy serving others, to take

care of happiness for others in accordance to the principles of non-violence

means developing the ability of «non-violence».

4) You should be tolerant notwithstanding any provocations. You should

not punish anyone for inflicted sufferings, you should not hurt anyone in

revenge – this is tolerance. If somebody does anything criminal with

regards to you for no reason, and makes you suffer, then if we start to

punish this person in some way, or make this person suffer in turn, then it

will mean that we are hurting ourselves, as in essence this person is one

with us. To become strong in this state means to develop the ability of

«tolerance».

5) You should be simple and natural in your words and actions. On the

inside there’s one thing, on the outside there’s another – people who abide

by this principle are insincere and mendacious. Such duality is harmful for

everyone and brings enormous harm to society. There should be

openness, simplicity and naturalness in your actions. There should be

simplicity and natural directness in your thoughts and appearance. You

should reject unnecessary ornament, haughtiness, and arrogance in


behavior, as well as luxurious way of life. By rejecting all of this you gain

simplicity in your appearance. Where there is no hypocrisy, insincerity,

envy, hostility, etc., where there are sincerity, softness, friendliness, and

mercy, there’s simplicity of thought. When you do not allegorize, do not

blame, do not talk scandal, do not blaspheme, etc., but on the contrary

when you talk simple, nice and useful things, this is simplicity of speech.

Fallowing all of these principles leads to developing the ability of

«simplicity».

6) You should find a true spiritual teacher and follow his instructions. When

you serve him, show him respect, follow his instructions, you may reach

happiness. Communication with a saint person purifies your life. Even a

moment of such communication fills your life with light. On the way to

knowledge you need help of a spiritual teacher –«binu guru honhi na

gyana». Who understood the essence of shastra, whose life is like an open

book – a simple, clean and nice one, meeting whom even for a moment fills

with joy and peace, whose actions are directed only to quench thirst for

knowledge among the suffering, meeting, communication, or merely

memory of whom turns our dark thoughts and actions into good ones, who

helps to reach the goal, should be accepted as a spiritual teacher. Even if

you are not one of his students, you should honor him and follow his

instructions on the road of spiritual development. Who devotes oneself to

this person, who serves him, will be granted the light of knowledge.

Spiritual teacher is like God. Even great philosophers are recommended to

follow admonitions of God.

7) In order to reach the level of self-awareness it is critical to follow the

rules instructed in the scriptures to maintain purity of thoughts, speech, and

body. For example, the purity of body is managed with ablution, while purity

of thoughts is achieved through mercy, love for neighbor, tolerance, etc.

Deceitful and condemnatory words make your speech dirty. Purity of

thought is necessary for spiritual practice and getting knowledge. God

dwells in a pure soul.

8) Think well when you choose your aim, you have to be persistent when

following it. You should not change your aim every other day. Who makes a

decision once and then puts all his skills, effort, and patience to reach this

goal, will undoubtedly be a success. Fortitude of mind originates from firm

intention. Devotion leads to a certain way of life. Mind, attached to material

pleasures and material wealth, is unstable (Gita 2|44), i.e. why you should

rejects all material attachments. This develops confidence and firmness of


decisions. «Shraddhavan labhate gyanam» – to get knowledge you need

faith. Mature faith then turns into devotion.

9) It is necessary to completely reject everything that can interfere with

self-awareness. This is reticence of mind. Self-control or composure means

that no temptation can break stability of mind. Mind is looking at nothing but

your aim. Some impulses, desires constantly surface in your mind. These

impulses emerge like waves and turn into desires. Desires always contain

attachments. They generate anxiety of mind. Impulses are like reflection in

a mirror, but desires are like a movie. If mind is constantly focused upon

the chosen goal, these impulses can be put down, while asceticism helps

to bring calmness inside your mind and maintain this focus at the goal.

Self-control should be developed with constant practice and asceticism.

10) You should not accept more than required to maintain your body.

There’s always a need to use things, but when using you should not like or

dislike them. Liking something generates greed. Greed generates

unbecoming actions. Ownership cannot bring satisfaction and you will have

to leave them when you go. Who is attached to things, is always in anxiety.

That is why when you fully reject attachment to things you build ground for

happiness. Thus you should always abide by the principle discussed in the

first chapter of «Isha-Upanishad» - «Saim itna dijie, jarme kutub samae.

Me bhi bhukha na rahu, sahu na bhukha jae» («Supreme Lord, send me

as much as is required to feed my family. I will not be hungry and the saint

pilgrim will not leave hungry”).

11) You should not identify yourself with material or perishable things and

believe that you own your material body or things related to it. The feeling

«I am» is in everyone. When it contacts the body, it becomes the idea that

«I am body», and in contact with certain things it turns into the opinion «this

is mine». This is ego. It’s the reason that man identifies himself with his

body, name, job, things, feelings, rejection from something, knowledge,

country, time, etc., and falls into the circle of incarnations (Gita 13|21).

Everything we have – body, wealth, fame, mind, etc. – doesn’t belong to

us. If we owned it, it would always be with us. Everything that is there in the

universe belongs to God, for his pleasure, and all of this is His reflection.

When we accept this fact our ego disappears. Everything in the world

exists to help other and not for your own pleasure. Thus the feeling that

everything belongs to us is grounded upon the wrong assumptions. It is

very important for a sadhak to get rid of such assumptions. Such reference

to material things as power, science, asceticism, renunciation, etc.


generates pride. Identification of self with the body generates ego. Pride

and ego are enemies to knowledge.

12) Until we have a material body, we will suffer from the recurrent births,

aging, illnesses, and deaths. Suffering is always related to material body. In

order to free from it, it is necessary to develop your spiritual self and

change your idea about it. The idea that material things bring satisfaction,

as well as yearning for them, creates only suffering. A man believes that his

happiness is in sanyoga. This kind of happiness attracts him, but true

happiness is not related to sanyoga. (Gita 6|23). That is why in order to get

true knowledge and true bliss it is necessary to get rid of attachment to

material things.

13) You should not develop attachment to anything but what is required for

your spiritual development.

14) You should not develop too much attachment to your wife, children,

home, land, or wealth. This is regarded as ekatmakta (ekatmakta – unity,

identity, sameness). This unity is the reason why a mother, worrying for her

sick child, becomes weak. This is called abhishvanga (strong connection,

attachment, love). Such union is developed due to wrong attitudes. This

kind of attachment is a reason why a man does wrongness without a

second thought. When a man is taking care of others, taking care about

happiness of others, but is not expecting same care in return – then such

attachment is not growing.

15) If our mind detects something to its liking this brings joy, if it dislikes

something this brings sadness. You shouldn’t feel happy or unhappy when

you fulfill any of your desires. On the contrary, you shouldn’t get upset,

angry or anxious if you face unfavorable circumstances (people, things,

places, time, etc.). You should equally treat favorable and unfavorable. You

should accept favorable and unfavorable circumstances as the grace of

God, you should correctly use both.

16) You should fully concentrate upon God. God is omnipresent. Nature is

the manifestation of God’s games. He is premi (enamored, supporter,

proponent), He is premaspada (love abode). He is both the goal of

cognition [Brahma], and the means to getting knowledge. There’s no need

to seek help from anyone or anything, as all obstacles of gyana-marga

(gyana-marga – getting close to God through knowledge) and bhakti-marga

(bhakti-marga – getting close to God through love and devotion) are

destroyed by the grace of God. If a man of faith and devotion, gives himself

away to God, and shows aspiration for knowledge of Brahman, he will be


supported by God on his way and will receive this knowledge. Along with

the other means of getting knowledge, devoted love of God helps to find

Him; devoted love alone lifts a man above gunas of material nature (Gita

14|23). Sadhak, who is seeking knowledge, whether through love or

knowledge, may be beneficially supported by faith.

17) A man should develop his taste for life in a calm and solitary place. It is

impossible to duly merge into contemplation of God in noisy, lively and

restless places. Solitude is very favorable for praying, study of Veda, and

contemplation upon God, but this doesn’t mean that you should go into the

forest, etc. Material units, such as body and mind, are an integral part of

sadhak. Until there’s connection with the body, there will be connection with

the material world. Solitary life should be focused at getting free from

egoistic attitude towards your body. A true solitude means concentration

upon a single object and estrangement from the rest of the world. Where

there’s no feelings, no breath, no thoughts, no heart, where body does not

matter – there’s true seclusion. Hence, such solitude is possible only at the

level of understandingя. Solitary, remote area helps developing such

understanding.

18) Only spiritual practice should matter. You should not fuel interest for

mundane activities. Therefore, it is necessary to lead a life of a schooling

philosopher, when you are researching spiritual sphere.

«SrimadBhagavad-Gita» describes these means to obtain knowledge. The

true object of research is paramatma. I.e. why true knowledge is being

constantly absorbed by spiritual knowledge, and seeing paramatma in all.

Everything that is not related to this knowledge is ignorance, avidya. All

kinds of material knowledge are avidya. Only fools are attracted by such

knowledge. A modern man has immense material knowledge, but is still a

fool, because he wastes his energy in vain, accumulating destructive things

and luxury. While expanding supplies of nuclear weapons, is he not

expanding weapons that will destroy his as well?

Modern society has become extremely dissolute. Young people are not

honoring the elderly at all. The whole world has a terrible headache with

regards to the education of youth, and what future waits for our countries.

Terrorism of different kinds has spread across the world. Discussion of

murder, violence have become a usual part of the day. There’s a huge gap

among the people. Human values have lost their meaning. There’s no

mutual respect. The reason of all of this is the negligence of spirituality,

moving away from God. The modern system of education is not enriching


young people with the principles of brahmacharya, i.e. the principles of

spiritual life. On the contrary it supports development of attraction to

glamour and luxury. Even those who give religious education have no

interest for this knowledge. They give this knowledge only to gain name

and fame. Thus you have a lot to think about not only in the field of society,

state and economy but also in the field of religion, because the world is

living under the looming threat of extinction. The period of existence of the

Earth in the scale of the outer space is not more than one moment. An

infinite number of suns and planet systems are disseminated in the outer

space. Each of them has its own structure. We may attribute a great

meaning and pride to our ability to operate space ships, but in contrast to

the great energy that brings these huge ships into motion, this meaning is

so small and insignificant that it should not be even talked about. Due to

ego and arrogance the insignificant living beings even have the audacity to

interfere with the natural balance. And we are facing the results of it.

There’s no end to anxiety, conflicts, wars, and suffering. The more grows

material prosperity, the weaker and more insignificant a man becomes.

Until science is not one with God, life will be more and more filled with

suffering. All of this is worshiping ignorance. «Isha-Upanishad» is warning

us against attachment to results of activity and recommends us to seek

support of vidya for social development and its true prosperity. By

transforming the education system in the route according to the

characteristics of true knowledge, which have been described in Gita, we

will able to make a man a human. Ignorant materialistic worldview is

harmful, destructive; you should accept this truth and follow the way of

happiness, other wise one society will become the cause of destruction for

another one, and there will come time when all kinds of societies will

disappear.

You can receive true knowledge from dhira (dhira – imperturbable, calm).

His mind is calm and pure. He knows the truth of the world. He has

received knowledge from his spiritual teacher and through asceticism, and

he sees that the fruit of vidya and avidya are different. You may get this

knowledge and divine instructions only by following the regulative principles

and with the help of your spiritual teacher. A true sthira is the one, who has

come to know Brahman; who delivers this knowledge in this way of life. He

shows the suffering the true goal of life and the means to receive peace

and bliss. Communication with such people is a great benefit for everyone.


The Joy of Knowledge -(11)-

Vidyam chavidyam cha yastad vedayuhayam saha

Avidyaya mrityum tirtva vidyayamritamashnute

Who is capable to simultaneously understand the essence of vidya and

avidya, who is capable to simultaneously walk the way of gyana-tattva (way

of knowledge) and karma-tattva (way of activity, karma), only he is capable

to overcome birth and death and enjoy the gift of immortality.

This mantra turns attention to gaining knowledge in a harmonious and

balanced way. For comprehensive development in life there should be

harmony. When science and spirituality walk side by side, society is

developing correctly and adequately. Until there is this body, it will always

be connected to the material world. Those, who «allow the material world

inside», continuously experiencing joy and sadness, happiness and sorrow,

will be born and die all over again. Who has been born, will die. But those,

who live in material world and do not «allow it inside», live separately from

it, who performs duties without taking pride in them, those overcome death

and are freed from reincarnation. They accept God. Until there is body, it

has to be maintained somehow. Not a single human can avoid activity.

That is why it is necessary to learn the art of action and getting knowledge.

Who has not fully mastered the mystery of action and inaction, is

enchained more and more when committing new actions. Who has

mastered this knowledge, not only creates no more chains, but is also

liberated from the old chains, thus becoming free from the fear of death.

True knowledge is defined as immortal, eternal, because it shows us that

our true nature is full of light. The idea to become free from incarnation is to

stop taking pleasure in the fruit of sanchita and prarabdha [karma, they

differentiate three types of action: sanchita – overall amount of action,

completed in all past incarnations, prarabdha – part of sanchita, which

defines the present life, kriyamana – what has been done, the effect of

actions in the present life that will be received in the future], while the goal

to free from incarnation is to reach God.

To master the mystery of action and inaction is not easy. Even great

scientists might fall into delusion about this issue. Therefore, people who

take pride in their knowledge, who consider action an obstacle on the road

to know Brahma, reject performing their own duties. You should not reject


performing your own duties, because who lives such life would never reach

renunciation, i.e. would never break free the chains of karma (Gita 18|8).

Thus, who has not reached the essence of knowledge, believes he is

higher than others. When he is routed in his dominance, there are two

states he may fall under. 1) He starts to believe he is higher than sin and

virtue, i.e. he believes that his soul is pure and has no vice. He starts to

ignore the lifestyle assigned by shastra and commits unworthy actions. He

develops criminal tendencies. 2) Action is ego; it creates chains, so it is

necessary to reject it: holding onto this opinion, he spends his hard-attained

human life in laziness, sleep, and foolishness. Both of these states bring

great harm; they appear when a false knowledge is accepted as truth by

mistake. Who clearly understands the essence of gyana, i.e. knowledge,

and karma, i.e. action, is far from pride; he is not seeking the fruit of his

actions but he finds them correct application. Having eliminated all vices

and having found support in knowledge and asceticism, he gains eternal

pleasure.

Since material world exists, man yearns for immortality, but until now has

been unable to rescue from the grip of death. Nobody in the world wants to

die, no one wants to suffer. No one wants to be ill or old. The laws of nature

are permanent and up to now no one managed to achieve eternal youth or

immortality. Neither material well-being is capable to solve this problem.

Material science can invent an atomic bomb, which brings death closer, but

it cannot invent a method to avoid a bomb. Purana (Vedic scriptures)

contain many stories about the mighty semi-gods and demons, who did

rigid tapasya to gain immortality (tapasya – purifying action, ascetic

renunciation), but they failed as well. Many materialists tried to gain

immortality for gold and women, but failed. Here it is necessary to mention

a great materialist Hiranyakashipa. Satisfied with his rigid tapasya, Brahma

came to him to give his blessing, but he failed to give immortality. Then

Hiranyakashipa asked: «Let me not die [not be killed] neither on the earth,

nor in the air, nor in water. Let me not be killed by a man, an animal, or

semi God, or any other living being of the 8400000 types of life». But even

this despot could not avoid death. This mantra says that there’s no other

road to immortality but the one that lies inside spirituality. Happiness in this

life and true peace and immortality after death: all of these depend upon

the grace of God with regards to this. This grace is only possible, when you

understood Gyana and Karma, and lead an adequate way of life, with

dutiful commitment and follow up of all regulating principles. A living being


is eternal and integral part if God. But it has forgotten about this according

to its nature. If it becomes aware of this, then it will be able to receive

eternal bliss. All of this is possible on condition of harmony and balance

between vidya and avidya, gyana and karma.

In order to reveal this mystery, to explain it to the common people, God

sends His messengers or comes Himself. He comes in the image of saints

and spreads knowledge of the sense of life with His lifestyle and teachings.

God is similarly saddened when he sees our suffering in the material world.

He wants the living beings to purify, gain happiness, and come back to

Him. Material knowledge generates only yearning to satisfy feelings, which

leads to Epicureanism. It is impossible to put down fire with oil. Receiving

continuous pleasure in material objects cannot calm down the yearning for

such pleasure. A living being attracted by maya yields to temptation of

sensual pleasures, and his life becomes senseless. Therefore, in order to

gain divinity and humanity it is necessary to cultivate vidya. Until gyana and

karma, science and spirituality develop in harmony, we will not be able to

gain happiness or peace. The road of unlimited sensual satisfaction is the

road of death, the road of destruction, the road of avidya. Material

pleasures cannot satisfy feelings, because they do not contain delight. True

delight is only in merging into paramatma, in knowing its true form, in self-

awareness. The name to true delight is Brahman – Raso vey saha.

Renouncement of material desires doesn’t mean that you have to

renounce fulfilling the needs of your body. Your body consists of five

elements [earth, water, air, fire, ether], that is why it is always connected to

these five elements [of material nature]. If your body is hungry or thirsty,

these needs should be satisfied. It is necessary to fulfill current needs, but

in a reserved and limited matter. Body, senses [sight, hearing, etc.] and

mind are also necessary for your spiritual development. If your body is

healthy, your sense organs will also perform their job in good order, and

mind will be able to direct thinking to performance of assigned duties. It is

critical for a happy life. In a healthy body there is a sound mind. Clear

thinking helps mind to concentrate upon good deeds. If you have a bad

sight, you are unable to see the beauty of flowers in the garden, or the

beauty of the image of God in the temple. We will not be able to study

shastra, or even walk along the road confidently. If our ears do not hear

well, we will not be able to listen to kirtana (singing the name and glory of

God), bhajana, and preaching of the great sages. If your tongue is taken

away, you will not be able to talk, or sing bhajana. Singing lila is only


possible with a tongue. With the help of mind we contemplate upon the

form and qualities of God and study the world. I.e. senses have a great

meaning in our lives. If you act intellectually, you will be able to direct your

body, mind, feelings, and thinking towards a correct goal, and will be able

to coordinate vidya and avidya.

An intellectual person sees suffering around him, feels the burning fire of

raga-dvesha and directs his attention not towards the transient mundane

happiness, but towards the search for true peace. Human life is a

wonderful and rare possibility for spiritual development. It is necessary to

use this chance to develop self-awareness. Only a complete fool is not

doing this.

The road of karma is a road of material success, the road of sensual

pleasures. Until we are in this body we cannot stop acting. Action is natural

for the living beings, the thing is only about devotion of these actions, and

it’s the major aspect that constitutes the difference between intellectual

people and fools. Gita advises us to follow nishkarma (action without

personal interest). It is necessary to perform actions but not to take pride in

them. Actions are the reason for incarnations, but who is not taking pride in

own deeds, is liberated from these chains. Activity is based upon avidya;

however the road to overcome death also lies through activity. By gradually

reducing and limiting attempts to seek happiness in the perishable

[material] things, mind starts to turn away from material world and address

God. This is the road of vidya. This is the way to spiritual knowledge.

Not a single living being is ever free from self-awareness. It is part of God

– «Ishvara ansha jiva avinashi, chetan amal sahedj sukharashi ». The

cover of material body and material feelings is cast upon this spiritual

essence. When this cover, body, and feelings are regarded as top priority,

a man is wondering in the darkness of ignorance and materialism.

However, by lifting above feelings, mind, and intellect, by turning your mind

towards your true nature and towards the nature of paramatma, a man

stands onto the spiritual road, onto the road of vidya.

In the present age [Kali Yuga], when a multitude of means to satisfy

senses has been accumulated with the help of technical progress, the

anxious human mind is unable to turn to spirituality. Economic development

should have its place to support health of every man, to enable people to

do spiritual practice as long as possible and to follow the way of vidya. In a

perishable body we may learn eternal truth.


Human body is perishable, but it is pure as the temple of God. Our duty is

to keep it clean [internally and externally], and keep it from the influence of

raga-dvesha. Thus, in order to perfect and clean yourself it is necessary to

act devotedly, take care of others, adhere to the principle of non-violence

and pray to God. Then in God’s grace we will start to see His image in

everyone and everything, and then we will be able to break free from life

[from the chain of incarnations, from the chains of life], and acquire the

long-sought eternal peace. We will be able to break free from the fear of

death. With the help of vidya we’ll be able to break free from the chain of

incarnations.

Who is the fallen man? -(12)-

Andham tamah pravishanti yesambhutimupasate

Tato bhuya iva ta tamo ya u sabhutyamratah

Those, who worship asambhuti (a word defining that, who is not

independent), i.e. semi-gods, ancestors, etc., fall into the darkest corners of

ignorance. But even to a greater extend it is true for those, who worship

sambhuti with false self-conceit (a word defining that, who is absolutely

independent, i.e. the Absolute), i.e. eternal Parameshvara.

Sambhuti is that, who is eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and

who is the beginning and the end of all. While any perishable living being

may be an asambhuti. It is possible to worship any of the above, but results

of such worship are different.

In Gita Lord Krishna admits that neither semi-gods, nor sages can fully

grasp Him, as He is their cause-of-all causes:

Na me viduh suraganah prabhavam na mahirshayah

Ahamadirhi devanam maharshinam cha sarvashah”

Title, greatness, and supernatural powers are given to semi-gods only by

the grace of God. If God shows no grace, then god of fire Agni will not be

able to burn down even a blade of grass, god of wind Vayu will not be able

even to stir it. God of the sun Surya also receives his energy from the

Supreme Lord. Creation and any other work of Lord Brahma or other semi-

gods is done only by the grace of God. They are all born from Him and they

merge into Him in the end. They have no freedom. Therefore, even those

Vedic Hymns, mantra and knowledge that were revealed to us by great


rishi, do not give full knowledge about the unlimited powers and qualities of

God, as this transcedental knowledge, this transcedental intellect is also

granted to them only by the grace of paramatma. Semi-gods and great

rishi, all receive their title and their knowledge by the grace of God. They

are action, while God is the Cause-of-all-causes. Action may be absorbed

by the cause, but it cannot fully know it, cannot measure it. God has existed

before they were born, it exists until they exist, and will exist after they are

gone. All semi-gods and rishi have their beginning and their end. With their

limited mind and limited abilities they cannot grasp infinity and eternity.

«Soi janai jehi dehu janai» – only he can know God for whom there is the

grace of God, only he can see God, to whom He reveals. Sant

Gyaneshvar wrote: “As a fetus in mother’s womb cannot become aware of

her youth, same no semi-god is able to become aware of Me [God], as a

fish cannot measure a huge ocean, as a mosquito cannot cover the width

of the sky, similar rishi cannot see my true form. Who am I, how great am I,

and whom am I born from – in search of answers to these questions people

have spent several kalpa (kalpa – era, philosophic world period equal to

4321 million years). It is so because whatever number of semi-gods, great

rishi, and other living beings there is, I am their Cause-of-all-causes. That is

why it is very difficult for them to know me. Had it been possible that a river

flowing down could turn its flow and direct its current to the top of the

mountains, if a tree could start to grow backwards to its roots, then the

universe that appeared from Me could become aware of Me».

Therefore, if anyone starts to say that with the help of his knowledge or

position could see the complete form of God, then this is only his hypocrisy,

pretence, and attempt to lie to others. Awareness of self and vision of God

are the aspects beyond verbal expression. Sadhak is drawing this image

with regards to his own existence. And God in this image enters his heart

and reveals to him in this image –

«Jaki rahi bhavana jaisi hari murati dekhi tinha taisi»

Nature holds three guna. This is the expansion of maya. It also comes

from God. It is impossible to overcome it. With own powers a living being

cannot cast away the veil of maya. There’s only one method, one way to do

it, i.e. to accept God and come under His protection (Gita 7|14). To give our

self to God is not easy. Not everyone has the necessary purity, faith, and

firm intension. According to Gita (7|15) 1) those, whose knowledge has

been stolen by illusion 2) those, which possess the demonic nature of

aseers, 3) mindless non-believers, the worst kind of people – these three


types of people cannot give themselves to God. Those, who are attached

to perishable, transient things, and who pay no attention to immortal,

eternal things are called «dushkriti» (worst of people). Satisfaction of

desires generates greed, while an obstacle on the way to satisfaction

generates anger. Such people lie, play the hypocrite, betray and become

victims of spite, anger, and hostility. Those, who have not understood what

is dignity and what is indecency, what is a virtuous and vicious behavior,

who drowns in the material and moves away from God, are complete fools.

Such foolish, unworthy people do not even think to look God’s way, so

where might their desire to devote to Him come from. Many people, blinded

by the light of maja, night and day try to reach material objects and spend

their lives in the empty hope to retrieve happiness in material. «Asu» (any

pursuit to maintain life) means prana (life, breath, and living being). Those,

who fuel attachment to perishable objects in people, who commits evil

deeds, taking pride in material success, are described as having demonic

tendencies of aseers. Knowledge of those, who seeks only satisfaction of

senses and desires, is either stolen by maya, or concealed by desire. In

order to fulfill desires many people worship semi-gods. For happiness

generated by sanyoga or pride, unable to resist their tendencies, such

people accept help of crude material objects or seek protection of semi-

gods. And this persistence is also generated by God. They persistently

worship semi-gods and their desires are fulfilled, but even this happens

only with His assistance. The result of worship of such ignorant people is

also not lasting and after death they reach semi-Gods. Semi-Gods are not

eternal, that is why relations with then are also not eternal. Who worship

semi-gods, appear on the planets of these semi-gods after death. After

they reached the planets of semi-gods and exhausted their virtue, they are

again forced to return into this material world – «Kshine punye

martyalokam vishanti». People, who are brought to delusion by desires,

drowning in the depth of greed, and attached to mundane pleasures, fall to

hell. It is said that they fall [spiritually] (Gita 16|16). From one birth to the

other these people receive demonic forms of life [bodies of aseers] (Gita

16|19). Lust, anger and greed are the three doors opening the road to hell.

They lead to the human fall (Gita 16|21). By seeking help of the dead

material objects, by worshiping semi-gods or ancestors, it is impossible to

get rid of life problems or achieve peace. Only by the grace of God, filled

with eternal bliss and knowledge (sat-chit-ananda), only by giving self to

Him it is possible to receive eternal peace. This mantra clearly shows that


who are attached to dead material objects soar in the darkest corners of

the universe. The whole universe and all of [celestial] bodies inside of it are

filled with material elements. The whole universe is covered with them and

that is why it is filled with impenetrable darkness. The Sun and the Moon

are necessary to clear away this darkness. On the outside the universe is

surrounded with the infinite space of brahmajoti (spiritual shining radiating

from the transcedental body of Lord Krishna). This shining doesn’t require

the Sun, the Moon, or the stars. There’s no darkness at the supreme

planets, because everything is filled with this divine light. It is only possible

to reach these planets by the grace of God. People, who are maddened by

wealth, esteem, glory, and possess vicious tendencies.

This mantra asserts that the even the more terrible lot fate waits for those

who pretend being knowledgeable, demonstrate false religious feelings,

and strive only to satisfy own senses. They abuse common people, mislead

their faith and firmness in the wrong direction, and pursue only personal

goals. These people do not know the true meaning of shastra; they do not

know the transcedental features of God, His nature, and His power. They

do not acknowledge either prayer, or meditation, or care of other people, or

ways to worship God instructed in shastra. Their dominating feature is

attachment to pleasures. Having proclaimed themselves as God in a

cunning way, they force common people to worship them. In false self-

conceit they do not recognize authority of the semi-gods, spiritual teachers,

great saints, and attract others with their sweet words, filling the lives of

others with atheism. Such people claim they are incarnation of God and

force others to worship them. They develop vicious tendencies. Vicious

tendencies generate vicious actions, while vicious actions fuel vicious

tendencies.

Ignorant people, who do not know own true nature, who do not know

whether they are doing good or bad, still can receive forgiveness for their

sins, but those who commit sin consciously are not worthy of forgiveness.

Those, who believe that the goal of life is to satisfy senses, and put a lot of

efforts to achieve this, undoubtedly fall very low, however, they do not bring

such harm to society and o the whole humanity, as those, who constantly

talk of God, but in actions seek only personal interests. These people claim

to be great philosophers, yogi, and God devotees. They organize common

believers and claim their money. On the inside they are filled with lust,

anger, and envy. They commit more and more base acts to satisfy senses.

When their secret is revealed, believers are engrossed with hate and their


faith is destroyed. Then they become leaders in the movement to sorrow

and pleasure generated by ignorance. Thus, these so-called pundits and

spiritual teachers, boast their knowledge, interpret shastra on their own,

bringing enormous harm to humanity. That is why these people fall even

lower than those, who live in guna of ignorance. They never reach

happiness. That is why the Upanishads define these people as great

sinners, falling to the darkest corners of ignorance.

Therefore, intoxicated with false self-conceit these pseudo scientists use

the words of shastra in their own way. For their own happiness these

people lie to and deceive others. Their sermons generate more and more

of new delusions and undermine faith of common audience. They spout

words; they call themselves gyani, saints, and mahatma, and force other

people to worship them. Our world has a countless number of such liars,

who even claim they are God! They know that divinity Is very far away from

them, but still they claim they are gods to please their own ego. To reach

their own common happiness they use great lies and commit a great sin,

diverting people from the way of truth and leading them into delusion.

«Who rejects instructions of shastra and acts according to own, would not

be able to reach perfection, or happiness, or the supreme goal» (Gita

16|23). Non-compliance with duties assigned by shastra, personal

interpretation of Veda writing and according way of life is ignorance. In

reality people are very proud they have read shastra, do not pay attention

to own greed, hate, and lust, and judging own outward actions they accredit

own internal superiority. They claim own supremacy and find evidence in

shastra supporting their good and bad actions. Common people see only

their outward way of life. They cannot know what is inside of those people.

Notwithstanding all internal vices, they outwardly appear as ascetics and

tapasvi (those, who follow tapasya). That is why their pride is growing; their

willfulness starts to show in their lifestyle. Gradually their good qualities turn

into vices, renunciation turns into passion, attachment, and lust. Such

people degrade [fall]. They achieve neither siddhi, nor happiness.

Purification of the soul is a true siddhi. Knowledge of shastra alone doesn’t

purify a soul. These people act geared with own desires only, tormented by

internal lust and anger. Thus being in torment they never receive

happiness. Taking pride in the false knowledge of shastra they cannot

grasp knowledge of Paramatma. On the contrary, they die and fall even

lower that those who do not know shastra at all. Hypocrisy and ego

generated by boasting is the cause of their fall. Ego prevents a man from


hearing God’s voice and that is why he falls. A small and weak ego does

not become the reason of births and deaths until it confronts the three

gunas of material nature, as exactly contact with these gunas creates

chains – karanam guna sangosya sadasadyonijanmasu (Gita 13|22).

People who are keen on studying Veda have a big ego and they cannot

withstand contact with gunas of material nature. Everything given by severe

tapasya tightly connected to ignorance, learning shastra, sacrifice,

pilgrimage, etc. – all of these are not eternal, are perishable.

«Acharahinam na punanti deva» (Vasishtha-smriti). Only practical

application of knowledge from shastra is capable to purify your soul. It is

impossible to gain happiness by merely reading advices of great sages

without their practical application.

According to the three gunas of material nature, there are three types of

knowledge, action and the performer of action. Knowledge with which a

man sees one spiritual nature in all of the living beings is knowledge in

guna of virtue. Such man is free from rage-dvesha. When such knowledge

is free from attachment, a man receives «true knowledge».This is

«knowledge giving happiness» Knowledge, which defines that the

appearance of a living being is determined by the body, in which it dwells,

is called knowledge in guna of passion. Knowledge, creating attachment to

action and far from truth, belongs to guna of ignorance. Actions in guna of

ignorance are geared by illusion, and these are actions for pleasure. This

activity is caused by chains. A person busy with activities that contradict

instructions of shastra, materialistic, stubborn, deceitful, skilled in abusing

others, lazy, gloomy, and sluggish, acts in guna of ignorance (Gita 18|19-

28).

Unbecoming thoughts generate unbecoming behavior. In turn unbecoming

behavior fuels unbecoming thoughts. Worst of people, possessing qualities

of aseers, arrogant, malicious are doomed to ruin (Gita 16|20). This is

beyond any doubt. The whole issue is about thoughts. If your thoughts are

pure then your behavior is also pure. High-moral Vedic knowledge brings

happiness. Lord in Gita defines people, who are arrogant, filled with lust,

and anger, as lowest of all people (Gita 16|18-19). Shruti and smrity –

Lord’s saint commandments, and who is breaking them – «narake patati

dhruvam» - will undoubtedly fall into hell.

Truthfulness, love, non-violence, tolerance, compassion, self-renunciation,

asceticism, serving other people, generosity, cordiality, etc. – all of these

are human qualities. Human development is only possible on condition of


pure thoughts, speech, and behavior, all as one. These are the distinctive

features of human faith. People maddened by wealth make ostentatious

sacrifice all their life. They interpret shastra as they will, trying to turn their

willful behavior into a behavior corresponding to shastra, they do not

respect spiritual teachers and criticize them. On the outside they look like

saints, but inside of them they burn with thirst for sensual pleasures and

greed. They deceive believers and push them onto the road of [spiritual]

fall. These Pharisee are great sinners and after death they reincarnate in

the lower forms of life. Ignorant people and people, who are under the

influence of tamas guna, act badly because of own ignorance or own

nature, but those, who play the hypocrite in faith and devoted worship of

God, drag along thousands of people into the abyss. In this mantra of

«Isha-Upanishads» such people are defined as the worst sinners, who are

forced to experience terrible sufferings and torments life after life.

Fruit of puja (puja – worship, sermon)

-(13)- Anya devahu sambhavadanyadahurasambhavat

Iti shushruma dhiranam ye nas tad vichakashtire

Worship of eternal God brings other result than worship of non-eternal

semi-gods. We heard this from great dhira, who have clearly explained this

to us.

A man is worshipping according to his tendencies. There are two types of

upasya (worthy of worship, object for worship): 1) eternal, Supreme God

and 2) non-eternal semi-gods, people, etc. Paramatma is eternal. All life is

born from it and by the power of its desire. It has been before creation [all

being] and will be after [its] over. Everything is born from Parameshvara

and everything enters Him in the moment of mahaprapaya (mahaprapaya –

the end of the world). He is omnipresent; He is eternal, i.e. He is

«asambhut» – it is his nature. Everything else but Him is perishable,

transient; everything is «sambhut». All gods, ancestors, etc. are perishable.

It is possible to worship eternal and perishable. However, the result of

these two kinds of worship will be different. It is necessary to clearly

understand, what means worship of eternal and what means worship of

perishable, and also what will be the fruit of such worship.


In the beginning of each kalpa (era) Lord creates all being, and in the end

everything merges with Him (Gita 9|7). Lord penetrates the whole universe

in His non-material form. Everything is in Him, but He is not in them. I.e. the

creator of all, supporting all and destroying all is not in him (Gita 9|4-5).

Therefore, between them [eternal Lord and perishable semi-gods, etc.]

exists a difference. Only strong bhakta, who reached supreme level, are

capable to accept and understand truth, that the universe is transpierced by

God, and worship in accordance to this knowledge.

Who sees the image of God in everyone, who treats everyone with love,

and worships everyone as God, that one really worships Him and no one

else.

Correct worship of paramatma is understanding that Supreme Lord

[Supreme Identity of God] is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, creating

all, supporting all, destroying all and eternal; to listen, chant, remember,

etc. the name of God, forms, games, magnitude of God, and also his

svarupa free from gunas of material nature with faith, love, and

wholehearted devotion. Who is worshiping this way quickly reaches

Paramatma –

Manmana bhava madbhakto madyaji mam namaskuru

Mamevayshyasi yuktvayvamatmanam matprayanah –

«Be My bhakta, always occupy your mind with thoughts about Me, worship

Me, pay to Me. When you are fully absorbed by me, you will undoubtedly

reach Me» (Gita 9|34).

Therefore, results of worshiping eternal, complete sat-chit-ananda

Supreme Lord – gaining God, awareness of own true nature. It is the

highest moksha, it is true freedom. It is freedom from incarnations; it is the

greatest goal of life. Human body is perishable and devoid of happiness.

The aim for which we receive human body is to worship God, reach Him.

Only those, who are like rishi, devoted bhakta, living pure life, can achieve

freedom from incarnations. God is in everyone. We are getting to know His

and own true nature –

Man darsana phal param anupa

Jiva lahahim nija seheja svarupa

Ramcharit manas

Who worships God is a righteous man. He gains true peace and never

falls [spiritually] (Gita 9|31). All qualities and magnitude of God start to

reveal in bhakta and he becomes divine. Who has come to know Brahma,

who has come to know Veda, becomes Brahma – «Brahmavid brahman va


mavati». Therefore, worshiping God is true worship and its result is getting

eternity. Who worships eternal becomes eternal, immortal. Worship of God

is vidya. And this vidya gives immortality, gives freedom – «Sa vidya ya

vimuktaye. Vidyayamritmashtute».

All of the other roads all over again return to ruin – «Punarapi janmam

punarapi maranam».

In «Gita» Lord says that those, who doesn’t have faith of this devoted

worship, will not be able to reach Him. They return to this material world of

death all over again (Gita 9|3). Those who do not believe in Supreme God

and neglect Him, considering that He is body-dependent, are real fools.

In Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna says about worship of semi-gods and

ancestors: «Those, who serve semi-gods, and who serve them with faith,

are actually worshipping only Me, oh son of Kunti, but they are not doing

this properly» (Gita 9|23). «Ishavasyamidam sarvam», «Vasudevamiti

sarvam» If we accept this truth, we will see then we will understand that

there’s nothing in the universe but God. Everything is God. One thing is to

worship a semi God, as one of the forms of Supreme Lord, and the other

thing is to worship him [semi-god], considering that he by his grace gives

everything you want, regarding him separate from God and higher than

Him. The first road is called vidhipurvaka (according to Veda writing), the

correct one, and the second road is called avidhipurvaka (not

corresponding to the Scriptures), the wrong one. Vidhipurvaka constitutes

not of the objects of worship [things, used at sermons], not in mantra [which

are read during sermons], not in the rules of worship [regulation for

sermons]. Vidhipurvaka is about non-separation of semi-gods from the

Supreme Lord. The majority of people obey to own desires, become

ignorant, and ask semi-gods for help. This rime from Gita states the

following: 1) If a person doesn’t have even small desires, if he considers

Supreme Lord as the object if worship. Worshiping a living creature, a

human or a semi-god according to own preferences, means worshiping

God. The result of such worship is reaching God. 2) If a person has even

smallest desires, and considers God as the object of worship. Such upasak

(worshiper) stands in the category of bhakta, who strive for some goal,

suffering, etc. 3) If a man makes difference between Supreme God and

semi-god, then he is worshiping only the semi-god.

The first conclusion refers to vidhipurvaka, and the following two

conclusions refer to avidhipurvaka. As water returns into the ocean after

passing the drain water ditch, the stream, etc., because it belongs to the


ocean, same man, whomever he worships, after all worships God –

«Sarvadeva namaskaraha keshavam prati gachchhati». If during puja

you are not aiming at reaching the Supreme Lord through the semi-god,

then you will have a completely different result of such puja.

Gita (9|25) says the following about puja dedicated to semi-gods, and

aimed at fulfilling desires: Those, who worship semi-gods, will reach semi-

gods; those, who worship ancestors, will go to the ancestors; those, who

worship ghosts and spirits, appear among them; while those who worship

God, find God. Those, who worship semi-gods, go to the planets of these

semi-gods. This mantra of «Isha-Upanishads» speaks about it.

God created different semi-gods and filled them with own power. Brahma,

Indra and others, fulfill duties they were endowed with. They receive their

energies from the Supreme Lord, who is the original cause of all energies.

But they are not eternal. Those, who worship them, receive wealth and

success, and in the end they go to their planets. Just as those planets will

disappear sooner or later, fruit of such worship are also not eternal. As a

result of many sacrifices he makes properly, a man would go to heaven,

but enjoying it just for a moment he will have to return back to the Earth

again. Therefore, those, who make puja aiming at fulfilling desires, will not

get liberation from reincarnations.

Therefore, puja made according to different rules give different fruit. The

rules to make puja are transferred in the chain of teaching succession

[parampara]. Those great people, who do not give in to material

temptations, who calmly accept the image of God in everything, are dhira.

And the road, shown by them is the right path. There is a multitude of such

paths, and all of them lead to one goal. God is eternal and the road to Him

is also eternal. Nothing can hinder a man, who walks this road. If you are

going in the right direction, then you will undoubtedly reach the right aim. If

we buy a ticket to Calcutta, then by all means we will eventually come to

Calcutta. And it doesn’t matter whether we go through Patna, Lakhnau,

Deli, Bombay, or Madras. There are dozens of roads to Calcutta. But if we

buy a ticket only to Bombay, we will never be able to reach Calcutta.

Therefore, it is critical to define the goal correctly. If we accept that God is

in everything, and we worship [serve, make puja] to some semi-gods, etc.,

then it will be puja to the Supreme Lord. But if we perceive some semi-god

separate from God, or place him higher than God, then it will be worship to

this semi-god, and the result of such worship will be reaching only the level

of this semi-god and his limited energy.


It is only possible to make puja with faith. According to tendencies, there

may be there kinds of faith, i.e. in guna of virtue, in guna of passion and in

guna of ignorance. Like the soul, like the [material] world, generated by

nature, same may be the image of the worshiper. When a man perceives

material world and material happiness as truth, when he is only attracted by

material pleasures, then a man has disposition towards material world.

Faith in paramatma generated disposition towards paramatma and spiritual

development. When such faith becomes stronger, a human soul gradually

diverts from the material world and turns to God. If we do not understand

some things, but respectfully accept them when we study scriptures and

listen to the great sages or spiritual teachers, this is true faith. Faith is the

natural feature of the soul. With faith it is possible to walk the spiritual path

[the path of spiritual development]. It is important to have faith both in goal

and means of reaching this goal. Faith in guna of virtue leads to God, while

faith in guna of passion or guna of ignorance leads into material worlds. As

guna of virtue grows, so disposition towards God increases.

The faith of man, who wants true happiness for himself, is faith in guna of

virtue. Faith of a man, who wants happiness for himself in this life or after

death, is faith in guna of passion. Faith of a man, who like an animal, cares

only about filling his stomach, strives for pleasure [material], gets stuck in

own foolishness and laziness, is faith in guna of ignorance. In accordance

to his faith, a man chooses his path, acts and receives fruit of his activity.

Our life is a sacrifice. And we make this sacrifice according to our

tendencies and according to our faith.

The type of puja depends on the type of faith. Gita (17|4) says:

Yajante sattvika deva nyaksharakshamsirajasah

Tretanbhutaganamshchanye yajante tamasa janah

«People in guna of virtue worship semi-gods, people in guna of passion

worship demons, while people in guna of ignorance worship ghosts and

spirits».

The word «deva» [commonly defining semi-gods] is used in Gita as the

synonym of the Supreme Lord. Who possesses transcedental qualities is

called «deva». Transcedental qualities lead to liberation –

Devi sampad vimokshaya

(Gita 16|5)

That is why worshiping semi-gods in guna of virtue opens a wide road to

finding Supreme Lord and purifying soul. A pure soul is «Vasudeva» (the

name of Bhagavan Narayana, Sri Krishna, etymology of the word defines


deva, who exists in everything and in whom everything exists). It has a

powerful faith of «devaki». With its help Vasudeva enters human life.

Sacrifice, tapasya, meditation, etc., carried out with faith in guna of passion

or in guna of ignorance, lead into delusion and push us into perishables.

The next shloka from «Gita» says about worshiping semi-gods, ancestors,

etc.:

Devadvija gurupragya pujanam shauchamarjavam

Brahmacharamahimsa cha sharir tap uchyate

«Asceticism of the body is in worshiping Supreme Lord, brahmana, spiritual

teacher, elders, such as father, mother, and also in purity, simplicity,

chastity, and non-violence». Therefore, according to shastra our duty is to

show respect and veneration to the elders, to spiritual teachers, to gyani

who gained knowledge of Veda, etc. Lifestyle in conformity with shastra

and Lord’s instructions, supports stability of mind and purification of soul,

and opens the path to God. If worship of semi-gods is aimed at finding

Supreme Lord, then it becomes one of the forms of worship of Him.

Asceticism of the body, speech and mind related to supreme faith and free

from attachment to the fruit of action, is asceticism in guna of virtue. That is

why it leads to God.

Opposed to this type of tapasya, there are tapasya, which are put up for

the show, to receive name, respect, etc., and stand in guna of passion and

give temporarily, perishable fruit. Tapasya, which are aimed at doing harm

to self or others, are related to guna of ignorance and its fruit are

insignificant.

This mantra of «Isha-Upanishads» tells us that we have to devote

ourselves to God, worship Him, and sing His glory in bhajana. Only in this

way a living being can gain freedom.

In our time, when everything around is filled with anxiety, worry, people

have become blind from anger, lust, and hypocrisy, and have forgotten

God. This mantra shows us the right path, the path to pacification. The so

called pundits have seeded grains-words and grown such jungles of

various opinions and ideas [here used a Sanskrit word mat-matantr, which

means difference of opinions], that it is very difficult for a common man to

understand them all and find the right path to true happiness. Saints,

mahatmas, that cannot resist material pleasures, also undermine faith of

society, and commit a great sin, throwing people into darkness [ignorance].

By all means you should avoid this kind of people.


Worship of and service to God, singing His glory, listening to and praising

His games, helps faith to purify and become stronger. We stand on the

path of pacification. Who is clean and is not aiming at satisfying

insignificant desires, he can direct those, who exist at the inferior levels [of

spiritual development] towards God. That is why Yogiraja Devraha Baba

says: «the greatest gift for a living being [human] – is to direct him to God,

generate in him an inviolable faith and taste of God. The sandal stick of

faith is cool and fragrant, but won’t it burn the one who touches it, if you

burn it in the flame of tendencies related to guna of passion or guna of

ignorance? That is why true happiness is to devote your pure faith to the

lotus feet of God».

God assures:

Sarvadharman parityajya mamekam sharanam vraja

Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo mokshayishtyami ma shuchah

«Leave all other religions and give yourself to me. I will alleviate you from

all of your sins. Fear nothing».

This mantra of «Isha-Upanishads» primarily says that the fruit of worshiping

God is finding Him. And when you find God, then there’s nothing else to

wish for. Why wouldn’t we try to reach Him? Then the need of all other

desires will fade.

Towards Divine Pacification -(14)-

Sambhutim cha vishnasham chai as tad vedobhayam saha

Vinesha mrityum tirtva sambhutyamritamashnute

Who perfectly knows both the eternal Supreme lord and temporarily semi-

gods, would lift above death and reach the eternal blissful Supreme

Absolute by worshiping these temporarily gods, ancestors, etc. Nowadays

science has reached significant heights. Men are very proud of their

inventions, including spaceships and atomic energy. A man has reached

the moon, but he’s absolutely not worried that on the Earth people in

developing countries starve. The atmosphere of anxiety, hostility, distrust,

and immorality reigns in developed countries and countries that own atomic

energy. Just as thousands years ago, today people are tortured by birth

and death, sickness and senility. When someone asks some scientist about

these problems, then the scientist would answer: “Science is working in


that direction. Eventually it will be a success in solving these problems”.

These scientists forget that by merely studying the laws of nature, they

have little success in solving its mysteries, and that in material nature

everything lives through the 6 stages of existence: birth, growth,

maintaining, change, withering, and death. Planets appear and disappear.

On the one hand, they state that once the sun will also disappear, on the

other hand, they dream to give immortality to a human.

No one can avoid the laws of nature; no one can be safe from death, from

the end. Who has been born, will die by all means. No one can be

exception to this rule, either a man, or an animal, or a bird, or a planet.

Even Brahma, creator of the universe is considered to be mortal.

Everything we can see is perishable. Only paramatma is immortal; it is the

source of all, and it has no beginning and no ending. Everything else in the

material world, all of the cosmic manifestations, starting with Brahma and

ending with an ant, everything is perishable and subject to transformations.

If we want to stop transformation that occurs to our material body, then we

have to lift above material world, and try to reach spiritual world, and

spiritual planets. Neither the Sun, or the Moon, or the stars that shed light

in the material world are eternal. But in spiritual world there are spiritual

planets that do not require thus material energy. There’s a simple way to

get to into this world, and namely, protection of God, His love, and His

grace. By transferring this love into material world we can make our

material life divine. In the spiritual world there are no desires, no vices, and

no raga-dvesha. It is only possible to calm down material anxieties by

awakening the energy of «paramachaitanya» (pervasive energy).

Material nature, or maja, is also the form of God. It originates from Him. To

overcome it by breaking this invisible obstacle is very difficult. Maja,

constituting of the three guna of material nature, is very strong. «Mama

maja duratyaya, mameva e prapadyante majametam paranti te» (Gita

7|14). Only who gives himself away to the Supreme Lord can overcome

maja, i.e. the laws of material nature, and reach divine shelter. Mind and

intelligence are also related to material nature and together with it each

moment moves them towards to the end, towards destruction. If a man

leaves his interest for material nature [material nature is defined with the

word prakriti] and turns to paramaprakriti (literally, supreme nature.

Supreme cosmic energy, with the help of which Supreme Brahman is seen

as individual souls), then he will be able to purify and gain true happiness.


It is also important to understand both vinasha (i.e. temporarily material

phenomenon) and avinasha (i.e. eternal God). If a man wouldn’t

understand material world, if he wouldn’t know the pointed sting of material

suffering, then he will not be attracted by avinasha. Happiness, which can

be gained in the material world and material objects is transient and

temporarily. It is only possible to develop this understanding during their

depth study. Until there’s attachment to the material world, it is impossible

to have attachment to God. That is why it is necessary to know both.

Shastra also advise to worship and respect semi-gods, the elders, mother,

father, acharya, and spiritual teachers. When this is a disinterested

worship, then it satisfies God, as it is our duty, and only through it we can

stand on the right path of knowledge. That is why the Scriptures instruct to

worship mother, father, acharya, etc. Purana contain several stories, which

describe people, who worshipped their mother, father, and spiritual teacher

and found God. They have not deeply studied shastra and Veda, they have

not practiced tapasya, etc., but by disinterestedly worshiping their guru and

the “best of all people”, with faith and devotion [here used the word

shreshtajana, which, apparently, defines saints, sages, etc.], and by

considering this to be a worship to Supreme Lord, they found omniscience

and immortality. The main and natural question is about what stands

behind such faith, trust, worship, and service. If this worship and service to

someone is aimed at receiving something in exchange, then it is

considered to be service aimed at satisfaction of feelings. Such worship

and service that are carried out for name, glory, or other temptations will

never become pure and sinless. On the contrary, becoming aware of your

duty, serving and worshiping semi-gods, ancestors, etc. with faith and

devotion, makes it possible to purify your soul and, with God’s love, to cast

away the veil, hiding true knowledge.

The body we have been gives is also perishable, but you should not

neglect it, because with the help of this body we can do spiritual practice. If

your body is healthy, it can become a tool of karma, yoga, gyana, and

bhakti. A sick body cannot serve you well. That is why you should not

become attached to the perishable material objects only to satisfy feelings.

When there’s no such attachment, your worship can be defined as

“asambhuti» very favorable. When faith becomes stronger, and also when

there’s God’s grace for you, you might develop the ability of

«clairvoyance», which shows the road to knowledge. Therefore, by merging


into «perishable» it is possible to understand it. By getting to know vinasha,

it is possible to distinguish, study, and understand avinasha.

The main way to develop love for avinasha is satsanga (association with

wisdom). Communication with the great sages, learning their instructions

and Veda writing is satsanga. When listening to them and studying them

comprehensively, we receive a great opportunity to learn the true nature of

God. Their bodies are also perishable, however shastra recommend to fully

devote yourself to them and treat them with faith and devotion. It is a great

sin to consider them to be common people. You should regard them as the

incarnation of God. These people know the essence of shastra and are

illuminated with the light of knowledge of Brahma. These great people are

worthy of any kind of worship and faith. By the grace of God we receive the

opportunity to serve them. When they show their grace to us, when they

are satisfied [with our service, our worship], they show us the way to God.

These great people, endowed with divine qualities, free from desires and

sins, by their closeness to God awaken our consciousness, capable to

grasp the divine light. Therefore, by worshiping vinasha, we become to

know death as part of life. When communicating with them and following

their advice, we purify our soul, and start to worship sambhuta correctly. In

such a way we can find paramatma.

Destruction and creation are relative. Who lifts above vinasha, above

darkness, opens the light of avinasha. Karma (action) throws us into the

circle of births and death. A man worships different semi-gods to satisfy

various desires, but he cannot achieve eternal pacification. Action should

be such that would not create bonds, but on the contrary, would break

existing bonds. By gaining this particular ability, we can lift above death.

Death fears us no more. It opens the door to life. Who is neutral to material

pleasures, is drinking the divine nectar of eternal pacification and eternal

bliss. He rejects desire to taste the nectar of maja and goes further, where

he enjoys the nectar of paramananda (paramananda – supreme pleasure).

This mystery consists of sambhuta and asambhuta. Material world is not

worthy of either hate, or contempt. You should treat it neutrally [to be

indifferent]. Material world is also the form of God. Therefore, having

understood this universal form, it is better to turn to divine love, to divine

pleasure.


The science of bhagavata-darshan (bhagavata-darshana is the term that defines vision, contemplation upon

God. The word darshana may also define manifestation, showing self, i.e.

manifestation of self as God)

-(15)- Hiranyamayena patrena satyasyapihitam mukham

Tat tvam pushannapavrinu satyadharmaya drishtaye

Oh, my God, supporting all life! Your true face is hidden behind Your

blinding radiance. Please, cast away this veil and reveal Yourself to Your

pure bhakta.

God is the cause-of-all-causes for all; He is the supporter for everyone,

creator of all, and master of everything. In His will only numerous universes

appear and vanish. No one is equal to Him. To find Him is the greatest goal

in the life of the living being. He is not subject to the three gunas of material

nature that is why it is impossible to make His darshana [i.e. to see Him, to

reach Him, to know Him] without overcoming them. Merely by

concentrating upon devotion to God it is possible to gain the ability to make

His darshana and find Him. However, for you it’s not easy to develop love

for God. He is the seed that exists in everyone. Nothing – movable and

immovable – can exist without Him (Gita 10|39). There’s no end to His

divine qualities. All wonderful and beautiful creations appear out of his

magnitude [here the word teja is used, which means brilliancy]. With his

smallest part He is piercing and supporting the whole universe (Gita 10|42).

His body consists of the infinite number of universes. His great body is

unimaginable. And still bhakta always yearn to see Him. They see Him, but

this bhagavata-darshana is only possible by the grace of God. Even if

someone managed to see God due to own power, tapasya, own

knowledge, etc., this is considered to be impossible, because how can a

tiny limit see what is limitless. We cannot comprehend the infinite grandeur

of God.

So, is it impossible to see this supreme magnitude [here the word

mahateja is used]? If it is impossible to see Him, then how is it possible to

find God? But many bhakta managed to see Him. Veda writing prove this.

This important mantra of «Isha-upanishads» describes the ways how to

make darshana of God.


When Arjuna learned about the qualities of God, about the grandeur of His

transcedental form, he had a desire: «I want to see your form, with one part

of which you pierce the whole universe. If you believe that I may see your

cosmic form, oh my God, the master of all mystical powers, please, be

merciful, reveal your universal nature to me» (Gita 11|3-4).

«No doubt about it! Look at the hundreds of thousands of various, divine

and colorful forms. See the forms you have never seen before. However,

you will not be able to see them with the eyes you have now. Their vision is

limited. They cannot see what is infinite. I will grant to you divine vision,

which will enable you to see my magnitude» – God said this and revealed

to Arjuna His universal form. Even if thousands of suns will shine together,

then even this light will not be able to match the shine of this form. This

form has no beginning and no end. Arjuna was amazed to see all of the

semi-gods, all of the living beings, all rishi, and all sages in the infinite body

of God. He was startled at seeing this splendid and infinite form, radiating

its light all over. He praised Lord and asked Him to reveal to him His form

of the Divine person. And again God appeared in front of Him in His true

form with four hands [Vishnu] and finally, appeared in his image with two

hands. God told Arjuna: “My form that you have seen now, is only possible

to be seen in devoted service, but not [only] by studying Veda, making

tapasya, making charity or sacrifice”.

From this chapter of Srimadbhagavad Gita we learn that it is only possible

to see the personal and universal form of God in devoted service and love

of God, but even this is fully in the grace of God. If he reveals His grace

and considers that bhakta is worthy of His darshana, He reveals Himself is

some form, according to the wish of bhakta. Bhakta should only humbly ask

of it. If God shows His grace, He will endow bhakta with transcedental

vision, which He gave to Arjuna, so that he could see His divine shining.

Arjuna is a simple example of such bhakta, who believes that God is his

«all», his teacher, his friend, and follows the principle «Karishya vachana

tava» – «following your instructions». This mantra of «Isha-Upanishads»

also describes the process of bhagavandarshana.

Step by step this process is described as follows:

1) First of all, you should come to know Him and accept Him by listening

to and contemplating upon the names, forms, games, and magnitude of

God. This will help to develop faith, devotion, and love of God.

2) You should become convinced in the opinion that God is omnipresent,

omnipotent, and that he is the Cause-of-all-causes for all. He endows with


everything necessary. He is inside of every heart. When love of God

becomes stronger and more solid, you develop a desire to see Him.

3) God is the supreme truth, He reveals by His grace – you should accept

this with complete faith, you should dedicate al of your actions to Him, to

win His favor. Bhakta should become ananyacheta (concentrated, fully

busy), should make his satyadharma his dharma [dharma - order, standard

of existence and development of cosmos, and society. In the system of

purposes of human existence dharma is one of the four purposes of

human living, along with the purposes of acquisition (artha), pleasure

(kama) and «liberation» (moksha), and besides the task to accumulate

dharma as “religious capital” is the fundamental purpose. [The closest

definitions related to dharma are «truth» (satya), «merit» (punya) and

«benefit» (kushala)]. Bhakta should reveal in his lifestyle a true, and not

artificial, devotion and love of God, i.e. on the basis of satya. Therefore, by

singing and glorifying God, bhakta should become worthy of seeing Him.

4) The true form of God is covered with Hiranyamaya patra (Hiranyamaya

patra is the golden vessel or a golden egg. A certain cover). And no one

can cast away this cover. Man cannot willfully remove this divinely radiant

cover, separating him from God, with the help of spiritual practice,

отделяющий его от формы Господа.

5) By His grace God may remove this cover. And then you can see Him in

this form.

6) Bjakta, who yearns for bhagavata-darshana, can do two things:

1 – to lead virtuous life, to feel infinite love for God and continuously

contemplate on Him, to satisfy God.

2 – to humbly pray to God, asking Him to cast away this veil and reveal

himself.

7) If you continuously pray to God with all humility and faith, then God will

undoubtedly reveal Self. And then bhakta’s material boundaries will be

destroyed.

8) Attempts to receive Bhagavata-darshana and self-awareness

undoubtedly lead to finding paramatma. As much as these attempts are

comprehensive, as much as bhakta is diligent, skilled, and concentrated

upon them, so quickly he will receive this darshana. 24 elements of the

material world can be studied by materialistic science. Divine light

(brahmajoti) shines above it, and above this light there is the form of God

sat-chit-ananda. Only in infinite love and devotion to God it is possible to

see and grasp His true form –


Bhaktya tvananyaya shakya ahamevam vodhorjuna

Gyatu drashtu cha tattvena praveshtu cha prantapa

Only those who constantly remember of God, who are filled with thoughts

of Him, can easily reach Him. (Gita 8|14). God gives everything needed to

these bhakta (Gita 9|22). Therefore, when bhakta ardently yearns for

bhagavata-darshana, paramatma removes its veil and endows bhakta with

the ability to see it. This mantra advises not to rely upon tapasya and

religious activity, but to believe in the grace of God, and indicates that God

cannot fail to hear the prayers of pure bhakta, who always follows moral

principles to gain His love, and fully gives himself to Him. ShimadBhagavad

Gita also speaks of the importance to give away to God.

Ek bharoso, ek bal, ek asa bisvas

Ek ram ghanasyama hita chataka tulsidas.

Dohavapi 277

Gita describes the three groups of sadhaka, which are most dear to God:

gyani, yogi, and bhakta. The best of sadhaka are gyani; yogi are even more

dear to God than gyani, but bhakta, who are continuously busy with serving

Him, are even more dear to God than gyani. In ShimadBhagavad God says

He is the servant of his bhakta, and He does everything to satisfy them.

That is why if bhakta has a strong desire to see God then God reveals to

him. When providing concluding instructions to Arjuna, God Krishna says:

«Come under My protection [give yourself to Me], I will give you moksha

(liberation), and help you to perfect». This mantra of «Isha-Upanishads»

supports this idea.

The true form of God is mysterious. It is hidden under the veil of maja.

Maja is very strong and attractive. A man falls under its influence, attracted

by it. He seeks pacification in the outward temptations. He doesn’t see the

hidden truth. Looking for happiness in the external world, a man wastes his

life and has to be born in the new body and start seeking truth from the

very beginning. God lives in the heart of everyone, but a man busy with his

physical body gets tangled in satisfying feelings. He has no time to look

inside himself. Material delusions hide true knowledge from him.

Therefore, bhakta purifies his soul with the help of bhajana and kirtana, in

devoted service and love of God, and also by praying to Him: «Lord,

please, cast away this veil of maja, and reveal Your image». God hears His

true bhakta. By listening to them He also receives pleasure. He reveals

Himself, and by receiving His darshana, by getting to know own true

nature, a man gains true pacification –


Mam darsan phal param anupa

Jiv pahanginij sahej sarupa

(Manas)

So ham asmi

(He is me)

-(16)-

Pushannekrshe jama surya prajapatya

Vyuha rashmin samuh tejo

Yam te rupam kalyana tamam tat te pashyami

Yo sav asu purushah so ham asmi

Oh my God, oh original philosopher, supporting the universe, oh the

regulating principle, the end goal of pure devotees, the well-wisher of the

forefathers of humanity! Please, take away the brilliance of Your dazzling

rays, so that I could see Your blissful form. You are an eternal Supreme

Personality of God, like Sun, just like I am.

By his grace God directs bhakta and sadhaka on the path of spiritual

activity. He enforces their faith; He lifts all vices and delusions, and gives

strength to walk the path of spiritual development. He endows bhakta with

everything they need (Gita 9|22). By His grace He dispels darkness,

generated by ignorance, in His bhakta – gyandipenbhasvata (Gita 10|11)

– and by being the essence of true knowledge, He gives the opportunity to

get to know His true form. He establishes the regulating principles, He

manages everything, and He is the Owner of everything. He is the final

goal of all gyani and bhakta. Nobody knows Him. Even the semi-gods and

rishi do not fully know Him, as he is the origin and the cause for all of them.

He is God of gods, ruler of the universe, and owner of everything animate

and inanimate. He is the one and only, who knows Self (Gita 10|15). He is

incomprehensible, but in love to his devoted bhakta, He allows them to

know Him with bhakti.

The Sun supports everything that lives. Any energy on the Earth is a

variation of the solar energy. If there’s no sun, there will be no earthly

creation. Sun is radiating light, and its soul, the cause for this light, its

magnitude is Supreme God. Bhagavatasatta (the essence of God, being of

God) enters sunrays as well. God exists in the Sun, in the Moon, in stars,


and planets. In His svarupa He exists among us. He pierces all material

creation. There’s nothing but Him. «I am the inexhaustible solar energy,

worldly spirit, and the whole universe ».

His true form is filled with bliss. He is the happiness of happiness; grace is

never exhausted to be filled with His grace. His unconditional grace rains

upon His pure bhakta. He is never deaf to their prayers. Bhakta, yogi, and

gyani are concentrated upon the blissful form of sat-chit-ananda, upon the

form filled with magnificence and beauty, but being happy and satisfied

they still remain dissatisfied and pray all over again: «Oh, Supreme Lord,

please, remove the shining of your dazzling transcedental rays, to calm

down my anxiety and let me gain eternal pacification and bliss».

Divine light is extremely bright and dazzling, and it is hard to see God

behind it. As sunrays spread from the Sun in all directions, and it is

impossible look at it for a long time without covering the eyes, similarly

divine light is so bright that it is impossible to fix eyes upon it. When Arjuna

saw the universal form of God, he was filled with great happiness, but

along with it «his hair stood on end». Therefore, gyani, yogi and bhakta,

who fixedly look at the divine shining, are very happy, but along with that

they are no satisfied because this shining comes from the Supreme Lord.

The true, wonderful, and ever-blissful image of God, hidden behind it,

awakens their thirst to see Him. No one in no way can cast away this veil.

This is only possible by his grace.

Many saints, mahatma, and yogi accept this divine light as supreme truth.

However, the sunrays, even though they are an integral part of the sun and

originate from it, do not give understanding about svarupa of the sun. This

is the opinion of «Isha-Upanishads». Rishi, who rise above this divine light,

want to see the true form of paramatma. They have got to know the true

form of God. They see this divine light in the sun, in the whole universe,

and in own atmasvarupa, i.e. everywhere, but still they want to see the full

blissful form of the Supreme Truth, which is hidden behind it. It’s a great joy

to see the divine light, but supreme bliss is to face the true form of God. His

true form is Supreme truth. Brahmajoti is merely a shining halo. It cannot

show the true form of the Supreme truth. This light is only an external

cover. Letters of the word «Bhagavan» have a great meaning. [In Sanskrit

the word «Bhagavan» comprises of 4 letters: «bha», «ga», «va» and «n»].

According to Sri Jiva Gosvami, the letter «bha» mans «who provides

everything, supports everything». «Ga» means «operator», «leader», or

«creator». «Va» means that all of the living beings exist in Him, and he


exists in every living being. Therefore, the word «Bhagavan» means infinite

knowledge, power, energy, wealth, might, and influence. God provides His

bhakta with everything they require, supports their love of God, shows them

the path, directs them to the [right] purpose, and by his grace allows them

to see Him. He provides His bhakta with everything they require to be able

to see Him, recognize Him, and «merge» in him.

Saint Prayer in the Hour Of Death -(17)-

Vayuranilam amritamathedam bhasmintam shariram

Om krato smara kritam smara krato smara kritam smara

Let this perishable body turn into ashes, and let this breath of life merge

with the eternal air. Oh, Supreme Lord, who is the sound «Om»!

Remember Your bhakta. Oh, You the one, who takes pleasure in sacrifices!

Remember all my doings! Remember what I have done!

This body dies, because it consists of the five elements of material nature

and it is perishable. Especially when after death a human body is burned in

the funeral fire and turns into ashes, all of the elements of his body join with

the elements of material nature: air to air, fire to fire, earth to earth, water to

water, and ether to ether. Man leaves this body as it doesn’t belong to him.

This connection is temporarily and volatile. This external body is given a

man to use it. It dies when the time of application is over. With the end of

the body there also comes an end to feelings. When the breath of live

merges with the universal eternal air this means the merging of all

elements, which constituted a human body [accordingly to the elements of

material nature]. The thread, connecting [a man] with the body and the

world is broken, however, actions carried out under the influence of raga-

dvesha, create bonds.

At the moment of death every living being remembers his good and sinful

actions, remembers everything he did for God. Like the actions, like the

memories, and according to them he is getting ready to travel further and

receives the corresponding body. If you remember material world at the

moment of death, then you will have to come back, but if you remember

God, then you will undoubtedly reach God. Bhakta will reach the form of

God, according to the feeling he is remembering with, and according to the

form he remembers. The feeling, with which bhakta sings any of His forms


during life – Sakara, nirakara, nirguna, saguna, who has two hands, who

has four hands – and also his name, abode, and games: exactly this feeling

and this Form come to him at the moment of death. Who worships God

during life, serves Him devotionally, praises Him and glorifies Him in

bhajana and kirtana [this person at the moment of death naturally develops

a tendency, yearning for God], finds his Beloved God. But who is not

worshiping God, not serving Him, but remembers His form, name, abode,

etc. at the moment of death, that will become a righteous man [here the

word sadgati is used]. «Sad» in the meaning of correct or virtuous, and

«gati» in the meaning of movement, development] and reach this form.

Therefore, both types of people reach God, as all forms of God are the

same in the essence.

Whatever life of a dying man has been, if he remembers God at the

moment of death, as it happened to Adjamila, will gain bliss.

But it is not that easy to remember God at the moment of death. The dying

memories correspond to the actions committed in life – «Janam-janam

muni jatan karahin, ant ram kahin avant nahin». That is why you should

be on alert at every moment. You never know when the end comes. That is

why every moment of your life you should remember God. If some activity

to support living is done to reach God, and then it becomes service to God,

it becomes puja. According to this theory, it is important to sing bhajana

and carry out kirtana by the side of the dying man, in order to fill the

surrounding with God, and also to make sure that, when he regains

consciousness, he would hear the names of God. Shastra also say that if a

saint man sees someone dying, or a dead body, or how the body is lifted to

the funeral fire, then this living being also gains happiness –

Mahapataka yukta va yukta vachappadakai

Param padam prayantyeva mahadbhi davalokitah

Kalevaram va padbhasmam paddhumam vadi saptpam

Yadi pashyati punyatma sa prayati param gatim

Naradapurana 1|7|74-75

These great people are really divine; they perceive everything as the form

of God. And it is not merely their opinion, but also their lifestyle. They see a

dying man and their feeling [that God is in everything] cannot fail them.

Therefore, if in the time of death a man will see a divine image of a saint

man, then he will be free from reincarnations.

In the eighth chapter of Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna describes the process

of dying memories in detail and recommends continuously remembering


Him and glorifying Him, because who continuously remembers Him in life,

will habitually remember Him in the dying hour. You should also try to

remember God in life conflicts. «Mam anysmara yudhya cha» (Fight, and

remember Me) – this is the advice of Gita.

God gives yet another «indulgence» to His true bhakta: If someone for

some reason will not remember him in the time of death, He will not forget

that man. He always remembers His bhakta and takes care of their

happiness. It is natural for God to remember His bhakta and, by showing

grace to them, to save them from the circle of reincarnations – «Aham

smarami madbhaktam nayami paramam gatim». But this doesn’t mean

that God is partial towards His bhakta. If someone sins all his life, like

Ajamila, and suddenly remembers Narayana (God), he will undoubtedly

receive liberation from reincarnations. So how can God leave someone,

who remembered Him all of his life, praised Him, but at the moment of

death could not do it for some reason? God always remembers those, who

remember Him. This is His uninterested grace – «Ye yat’ha mam

prapandyante tanstateyva bhajamyaham». Love and devotion to God

are never single-sided. If bhakta remembers God, then God also

remembers him. If bhakta praises and serves God, then God also praises

and serves him. Therefore, God is never estranging His bhakta, He never

loses him out of His sight. His grace is always with His devotees. Every

moment bhakta tries to please God. It gives him a great joy as well. God is

also happy to see the joy of His bhakta. This is an inseparable connection

of bhakta and God, their union.

A living being sansari (mundane, worldly, perishable, and transient)

spends life satisfying feelings and attaching to material objects. That is why

it is natural that in the dying hour this attachment is still very strong. In the

next life such living being gets the body, which will help him to get rid of the

tendencies he dies with. Therefore, a man will reach that state that he

remembers when leaving his body –

Yam yam vapi smaranbhavam tyajatyante kalavaram

Tam tamevaiti kaunteya sada tadbhavabhavitah

Gita 8|6

In the material world material nature creates a body for a living being,

which corresponds to his tendencies. Upon his wish a man can become

anything: from an insect to Brahma. He has 8400000 types of bodies for

this. Those, who remember material world in the death hour, those will

receive different bodies according to their guna (sat, raj and tama). This


happens because just material nature constitutes of three gunas, one of the

gunas is also dominant for them, or they lack some of them. And the next

life is also given to the living being in accordance to his dominant guna.

Who remembers material world cannot stop his wondering [mind]. On the

contrary, a devoted God’s bhakta always remembers Him and reaches

Him. Because there is only one complete form of God (samagra rupa), then

«dying» for gyani, yogi, and bahkta is also one – and its result is also one –

finding God.

A human body is most developed, as it contains consciousness. Gradually

perfecting, developing, a man gets this body. That is why those, who have

received this hard-to-get human form of life, and are not using it to serve

God, to remember Him, can be called nothing but a fool. A human body is

given as a result of tapasya and beneficence of hundreds thousands of

births. And a wise man correctly uses it for own benefit. He does not fall

into the trap of satisfaction of feelings and desires, and by continuously

remembering God, he undoubtedly reached Him – his supreme goal.

In this mantra a living being asks about liberation from reincarnations. He

doesn’t forget God and prays for God to remember him. He remembers

about His as of the saint sound «Om» [Bhagavad-Gita indicates that sound

«Om», Brahma and Lord Krishna are essentially one]. Who remembers

Him as «om itye kaksharam brahma», also receives liberation from

incarnations (Gita 8|14).

Bhakta prays: «Oh, Lord! Please, remember me, please, do not forget

about me! Please, remember everything I have done for you; by all means

remember. Al I want is for You to remember me. Then I will be happy.

Remember my service, my love, my firm faith; remember my tapasya,

which I made in the forms of bhajana, kirtana, and sadhana. I have done all

of this to win Your love. And if in this dying hour You remember me, then I

have received Your love and grace. I’m not attracted by this perishable

body, material feelings, and material objects. Let all of this turn into ashes,

burns down once and for all! Let me never return into [whatever kind of

material] body. And for this, God, who is sound «Om», please, always

remember me!».

This mantra describes a prayer and the dying remembering of God for

bhakta, gyani, and yogi. All of then easily reach God, because they are

inseparably connected with Him, constantly busy with Him –

Ananyachetah satatam yo mam smarati nityashah

Tasyaham sulabhah part’h nityayuktasya yoginah


«Gita» 8|14

Understanding the usefulness of this prayer, the great rishi pray to God all

over again:

Om krato smara kritam smaro krato smara kritam smara

The best gift for a human being is to put him on the path to God.

Devraha Baba

The Best Way to Devotion. [devotion in the meaning of giving self to God ]

-(18)- Agne naya sypatharaye asman

vishvani deva vayunani vidvan

Yuyodhi asamaj juhuranam eno

bhuyishtham te nama uktim vidhema

Oh my Lord, mighty as fire! Oh, the Almighty! I fall at your lotus feet. Oh,

Lord, lead me the right path, so that I could reach You. And as you know all

that I have committed in the past, save me from the consequences of the

past sins, so that nothing would hinder my further progress.

In this mantra a living being fully gives self to God, praising Him all over

again, and humbly asks to put him on the right path, which would lead him

to God, and to give him power and reason to follow this path. In reality it is

impossible to always follow the path of happiness. Material universe

surrounds us all over. It attracts us with all kinds of temptations. Feelings

and mind are disturbed. Attachment is very strong. Illusions do not let go.

Lust, greed, anger, and delusions create obstacles on the way. How strong

is the living being! Inside and outside of him is the darkness of ignorance.

In darkness he cannot see the path. There are many hindrances and

obstacles in the way. It is very hard to avoid them. But a living being is firm

in his intention to reach God. His intention grows. God is almighty, and a

living being is weak. He is devoted to God and believes Him. He

contemplates upon His divine light but is not satisfied with it. He would like

to rest on God’s knees. Only the love of God and believing in His grace

helps fulfilling this desire. That is why a living being prays to God that He

would encourage him to follow the right way and lit this path with His divine

light. If there’s God’s grace, there will be no obstacles on the way to Him.

All temptations [obstacles] are generated by maja, and it also belongs to


God. Maja moves away from the path of those, for whom God shows His

grace. Not only it influences him no more, but also it helps to clean this

path from any obstacles.

It is only possible to lift above maja with the help of God’s power. It is very

difficult to lift above it with the help of spiritual activity, tapasya, sacrifice,

yoga practice, charity, etc.

God is omniscient. Nothing can hide from Him. He knows all of the virtuous

and sinful actions of the living being and their fruit. A man follows the right

path according to his knowledge, his attitudes, and his capacity. Even if we

carried out many kirtana and bhajana, always remembered God, he still

could commit actions that would become obstacles on the way to God.

These actions and obstacles can be eliminated by God, as awareness of

them is only possible by His grace.

For bhakta God is the teacher, who shows the way. He knows all of the

obstacles that may appear on this path, and by His grace these obstacles

may be eliminated. How can you trust your actions? Even if you are very

careful, still you may make mistakes and commit sins. It is also natural for

God to forgive them. Bhakta asks to remember all of his actions – «kritam

smara» (remember everything I have done). He asks to remember him –

sings «OM», names God «taking pleasure of all sacrifice», says

«Bhagavan, Bhagavan!», pronounces different names of God, and sees

His various forms. Why then it is so difficult to find God? It’s because

undoubtedly there have been some unbecoming actions that should not

have been done by a person, who stands on the path to God. So bhakta

asks God to eliminate these actions-obstacles [consequences of these

actions] and again and again bends in front of Him in reverence. He tries to

gain the grace of God. He yearns only for the grace of God to follow the

right path, to eliminate all of the obstacles from this path and help reach the

final goal. Devotion and self-denial are the only instruments to receive this

grace. He fully gives himself to God. Piety is the supreme instrument of

bhakti-yoga. It’s impossible to see God and reach Him without it. That is

why God says in Gita -

Sarvadharman parityajya mamekam sharanam vradja

Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo mokshayishtyami ma shuchah

Gita 18|66

«Leave all other religions and give yourself to Me. I will free you from all

sins. Fear nothing».


That is exactly how God treats His bhakta. «Ma shuchah» – fear nothing –

this assurance helps bhakta, gives him strength.

Receiving protection of God is the only way, which is absolutely safe, on

which there are no obstacles preventing from reaching the final goal. God

Himself commits to purify all of the sins.

First of all, like a spiritual teacher, God says:

Tameva sharanam gachchha sarvabhavena bharata

Tatprasadatparam shantim sthanam prapsyasi shashvatam

(Oh the child of Bharata, give your self to him fully. By His grace you will

reach transcedental calmness and supreme eternal abode).

«Gita» 18|62

However, Arjuna was not satisfied with this, so God advised him further

how to achieve devotion and defines what should be the actions of bhakta:

Manmana bhava madbhakto madyadji mam mnamaskuru

Mamevaishyasi yukvaivamatmanam matparayanah –

(You should become My bhakta, always keep your mind busy thinking

about Me, pray to Me, pray to Me. Thus, being fully merged in Me, You will

undoubtedly reach Me, because you are my dear friend)

(Gita 9|34).

That is why in this mantra of «Isha-Upanishads» great rishi pray all over

again: «Lords, put me on Your knees! Send me Your grace! You are my

teacher, You are my protector, and you are my Ishta, my «everything»».

With the feeling of full renunciation, praying to God all over again, bhakta

may move further along the path of self-awareness.

Giving yourself to god is like fire, on which all of the sins burn down.

Bhagavate-darshana is possible in this body, in this birth and in this

moment, but only under condition that this renunciation is part of bhakti.

Full renunciation of self to God is the only thing that matters in bhakti.

God does not have to walk far to show the right path to his bhakta,

because He dwells in the heart of each and everyone – «Ishvaraha

sarvabhutanam hriddesherjun tishthati» (Gita 18|61). And therefore,

together with bhakta, He walks side by side along the path of spiritual

development, and if necessary shows him the right direction. Great saints

and spiritual teachers may show bhakta the way to God; or God Himself

may take him by the hand and lead him along the way. Therefore,

notwithstanding who shows the path, whether those, who act on behalf of

God, i.e. great saints or teachers, or God – bhakta will reach his goal.


Listening to and telling about the games of God purifies man and

strengthens his faith. This is the most simple, safe and unimpeded way to

God, which brings him closer to God with every moment.

All mantras of «Sri Isha-Upanishads» encourage us to fill our life with

beauty and divinity, and advise us to gain the grace of God by satisfying

Him, and receive the ability to directly see Him.

The supreme Goal of life is to find God. And to achieve this goal it is

necessary to obtain the grace of God; it is necessary that He shows the

right path, and gives strength to walk along this path, and the sight (vision)

required to do that. All of this naturally becomes easily achievable on

condition of complete devotion.

Om purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnamudachyate

Purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavashishyate

Om shanti shanti shanti

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