Excerpts from the informal talks of Sri Swamiji (2)

Sri Swamiji has been rendering ‘Upanyãs’ (discourses), in Tamizh. This is being brought to you here.

There may appear to be variations in the ‘tense’ of the language. This is due to the fact that great effort has been taken to maintain the original style of the ‘Upanyãs’. Therefore, we request you to keep this in mind while reading the translated ‘words’ of Sri Swamiji.

Excerpts from the informal talk of Sri Swamiji -

"HARE RÃMA HARE RÃMA RÃMA RÃMA HARE HARE
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE"

" “These days Gita discourses are being done in very many places. Most of them relate it to ‘Management’ of office surroundings. I am happy about it but Gita is not meant for that. Its purpose is Brahma Sãkshãtkãra. The Gita shows various ways to attain Bhagavãn. That is its purpose. The Gita is for ‘mumukshus’ (spiritual aspirants).

We look upon anyone who carries on his day-to-day life as prescribed by the Shastras as karma yogi. But, this is only a ‘branthi’ (illusion). There are ever so many karmas beginning with ‘seemantam’, ‘jãtakarma’. all through one’s life. When someone scrupulously follows these, we call him a karma yogi. This is absolutely a wrong notion. He does all these with some intention - ‘kãmyam’ -- for the welfare of the family, etc. Such a person is said to follow only ‘grahasthãshrama’ and cannot be called a karma yogi. Also, doing sacrificial rites alone will not make a person a karma yogi. And a person who does not perform these does not become a jnãna yogi, either. When karma is done without any intention (‘nishkãmyam’) then only can the doer be called a karma yogi. If he does the karmas with some intention (‘kãmyam’) then he is known as ‘sakãmi’. He will attain ‘swarga’ (heaven) or be bestowed with prosperities, which are his intentions but jnãna will not dawn on him. If a person does ‘nishkãmya karma’ (karma without any expectation of any kind), then it results in ‘chitta shuddhi’ (purification of the mind), which in turn leads to jnãna. Likewise, when a man adorns the ochre robe, holds a staff and kamandalu, he is deemed to be totally dispassionate! Just these external signs do not make a man dispassionate!”

“There are some who have learnt the Shastras but have not attained ‘anubhava’. Being good orators they can speak charmingly (like the beautifully strung flowers) and go about advising others! They possess innumerable desires for various things and thus become verily the personification of desires. Only when ‘anubhootimãns’ speak will the words create any impression in the listener’s mind. Let us say that a person has occupied the peetah in a Mutt but has no japa or dhyana tapas. He may speak on various spiritual matters, offering advice to others for the one reason that he feels he has to behave so, as the ‘stãnam’ (post) demands this of him! Will his words bring about any change in the listener? NO! One has to first have full faith in the words uttered by him. He should experience all that is being uttered by him. Otherwise, how can he create any impact in the listener?”

“When we do japa our mind runs away to worldly things after, say 3,4 or 5 japas. Suddenly we become aware of this and pull it back to the japa. Whereas, Mahans are totally engrossed in their japa and even while listening to some worldly matters they are in japa only.”

“In Karma yoga Bhagavãn does not mention attainment of Brahma sãkshãtkãra. Karma yoga if done ‘nishkamya’ (without any desire) leads one to jnãna and thus to Brahma sãkshãtkãra. But, performing ‘nishkãmya karma’ is difficult, for, it is a subtle phenomenon (‘romba sookshmamãna vishayam’). When you do navavidha bhakthi - archanam, vandanam, etc. - if it is bereft of bhãva, there is no use at all. Bhakti is a feeling. It has to come from deep within. It is not something that can be learnt or given by someone. We visit the temple regularly and are deemed as one filled with bhakti! Our visit has a purpose behind it. Securing a job, for a good bride/groom, sailing through an examination, welfare of our children, etc. We do not go to the temple with the purpose of ‘seeing’ Bhagavãn. How can this be deemed as bhakti? We do not really know what is bhakti. Only a Guru, a Mahatma can bless you with this. Here again it does not mean that you go to Him and demand, “Give me bhakti!” and He gives it to you on a platter. You should yearn for it really and go to Him in all humility and pray for it. Only then will you be blessed with it. Water flows only into the pit (‘pallam’). Be humble. You should be like the pit (‘pallam’) into which Bhakti will flood in (bhakti appadiye pravãhama varum). To be like this your ‘ahankãra’ (ego) has to be crushed totally. Only then will such bhakti, as enjoyed by Mira or a Thiagaraja will sprout. Any sadhana will fructify only if done with such bhakti. And for this you need the blessings of the Guru or the chosen Deity. Surrender to the Lord/Guru fully. We are now doing ‘alpa’ prapatti (insignificant surrender); Mira, Thiagaraja and the like had totally surrendered to the Lord.”

“A father has two sons. When the father is about to go out, one child dresses himself up quickly with the feeling that if well dressed the father will take him along. The other child catches hold of the father’s hand and cries incessantly demanding to be taken along. To calm down this troublesome child, the father bathes and dresses up the child himself and takes him along. This child is like the Bhakta who cries incessantly for the Grace of Bhagavãn. The other child is like the yogi who thinks that through Yoga he should raise the sushumna to the sahasrãra and thus have Bhagavat Sãkshãtkãra. However, in both the cases the father might take the child along or may leave him behind. In the same manner, it is upto Bhagavãn to bless the Bhakta or the Yogi! ”

“Mahatmas pass through certain stages. Initially, they ‘take up’ vairagya. During their sadhana period they do lot of japa and ‘take up’ vairagya. They become deeply dispassionate. There comes a stage in their lives when they shun people. They detest seeing anyone. They keep themselves away from people. They despise the world and long to run away from it. When their sadhana intensifies they have darshan of the Lord externally (‘bahirmukha’). Then, they have the darshan internally. Once their samadhi attains ‘poornatva’ it becomes ‘sahajam’. Then comes a stage when ‘compassion’ overflows in them. At this stage they see not the virtuous or the vice. All appear to be the same in their eyes and their Grace spontaneously flows to all (equally). But, those who have seen them in days past, without being able to comprehend the state of the Mahatma comment, “He used to be deeply dispassionate (‘vairãgyasãli’) but has since transformed much!” "

GOPIKA JEEVANASMARANAM!
GOVINDA! GOVINDA!”

NOTE: Any discrepancy/lapse in the translated version of the Upanyasam is the sole responsibility of the person/s who translated the work from Tamizh into English.

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