October 19, 2025

In Shrimad Bhagavatam Bhagavan Narayana shares with Bhagavan Bramha “Those I wish to bless what I do to them is I take away from them”.  During Deepavali we put out side of our home or Altar Shubh and Labh. On the ground, we put Rangoli and footsteps of Bhagavati Laxmi but footsteps not stepping out as if we lock Bhagavati Laxmi in our home. That’s Vivek ji’s point we just want more not realizing that Bhagavan Narayana himself shared with Bhagavan Bramha “The way I bless by taking more”. This is shared at the beginning of Bhagavatam and later on in Bhagavatam when Raja Bali first has all of his outer wealth taken away, inner wealth taken away then he himself taken away Rishi Prahlada shows up there.  Rishi Prahlada is sharing with Bhagavan Vamana “Look at how much you have blessed my Grand Son.  You have taken everything away from him.  First you gave him everything then everything is taken away from him”.  This is shared because Pujya Swami Tejomayananda distilled all of these teachings to

• First blessing in life is acquisition, when everything comes into your life
• Second blessing in life is dispassion, when things are taken from life
• This leads to third blessing from acquisition, to dispassion to investigation.  That’s where one starts to really reflect on life; reflect on life’s meaning.

This above is the same trajectory or design of Bhakti time.  It’s all about investigation or understanding. 

Class 6 was on Bhakti as a relation. The science behind this theme, is that Bhagavan/divinity is Sarva.  Vivek ji used that word many times last class.  Bhagavan is all, theoretically no one denies it.  But in terms of actually experiencing this, there has to be a sequence or a system. 

1. Step one is feeling Bhagavan or divinity in an individual, we would call this Vyashti Bhakti.  It is Bhakti, in a specific way.  For many people it starts off with a spouse, maybe it grows to the children.  Then maybe it grows to their friends.  Point of that is, it is specific, it is localized. 
2. Those who do train well that I feel my spouse is divine. My children are God.  That’s why it keeps growing from Vyashti to Samashti; from specific to general. 
3. Some people do feel that with humans, but there is more there are animals, plans and stones.  That’s where we go from Samashti to Sarva. Prince Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita first Sarva, he was there for Dharma.  Then he went into Samashti. He was there for Pandavas.  Then he went into Vyasthi which is Arjuna.  Bhagavan Krishna trained him in you can’t have the purpose be you or your family or even humanity.  It has to be me as in Bhagavan Krishna.  That’s where that sacred confidence in Prince Arjuna has shown what transformation looks like. 

Last week Vivek ji gave scriptural reference of Gopis from Shrimad Bhagavatam. Vivek ji is adding more scriptural reference which comes from Ramayana.  Once Bhagavan Rama asked Hanuman ji “Who am I to you”? Hanuman ji’s response is “At a body level, I relate to you as a Sevaka.  At the mind level I am part of you.  So, I serve you, I am part of you, and at spirit level I am you”.  See the evolution of relationship.  That’s how organizations are formed too. If we take Dwaita, an organization like ISCON its about serving Bhagavan. If you take BAPS which is Vishishta Advaita, I am part of Bhagavan.  If you take Rama Krishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission it is Advaita, I am/we are Bhagavan.  That was the science and scripture.  Vivek ji shared us story of Pujya Swami Tapovanam.  Pujya Swam Tapovanam like Rishi Prahlada felt there wasn’t creation there was only creator.  There was creator in fire, there was creator in pillar, there was only creator.  We have proof of this in the way Pujya Swami Tapovanam lived.  He lived in the hardest conditions. But he didn’t label it hard because that was still creator not just outside but inside too.  There was famous dialogue. Pujya Swami Chinmayananda sees Pujya Swami Tapovanam being so frail, coughing asks him to come to Delhi instead of living in Uttar Kashi, its comfortable there, there are medical facilities there.  Pujya Swami Tapovanam replied “Why people don’t die in Delhi”?  He knew that this body belonged to the creator.  Labels like hard, labels like die he didn’t feel that just like Bhakta Prahlada didn’t think that fire was going to burn him, like that sword is going to cut him.  And that’s all taught in Bhagavad Gita right at the beginning of the Chapter Two.  Bhagavan says “No sword can cut you; no fire can burn you”. That’s be beautiful connection between Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita. 

Theme class Seven expressing your relation.  Class Six you have relationship, class Seven expressing it.  In Class four key word was relevance, relevance of Bhakti. Relevance of Bhakti is where you are dedicated without any feeling of, I am sacrificing. Bhakti, I am dedicated but I don’t even know that I am sacrificing.  In Class Six relevance to relation, we need to train ourselves in practicing dedication on a relation. In our culture it is very important to have Ishta Deva or personal divinity.  Vivek ji heard that Pujya Swami Chinmayananda’s Ishta Deva was Bhagavan Shiva. There was so much Upasana that he became Bhagavan Shiva. Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has shared so many stories with Vivek ji about this that during Shiva Ratri time Pujya Swami Chinmayananda told people to not touch him because they can’t handle that spiritual energy and that’s why he would sign off on letters and so on with “Aum Namo Narayanaya” because if Bhagavan Shiva has become Pujya Swami Chinmayananda or vice versa Pujya Swami Chinmayananda’s best friend would be Bhagavan Narayana. We need to have this icon that we can relate to for us to really be dedicated to.  It starts off specific then becomes general then becomes all.

Key word in class Seven is expressing.  Relevance to a relationship how do I express this?  For those who understand Bhakti, this is natural.  You can’t force Bhakti.  If we even decrease that to patriotism some citizens of a country but don’t have patriotism to that country. You can force them given them a flag, fireworks, sing the Anthem but they are checked out, that can’t be forced. It is natural.  What is the intensification of this expression?  We learnt it in last year’s course Wake Up to your Potential.  This is the six Ses that are an expression of Bhaja.

1. S1, is to sit.
2. S2, sing. Moreintense than sitting is singing.  The environment you are sitting in you start to sing about.  In this context specially in Chinmaya Niagara the word Rama has been used many times Deepavali, Ramayana.  You just use those words more.  Sadly, Vivek ji feels most people end their journey on this second step when singing is step 2 of step 6.
3. S3, Seek. Whatever you are singing about now you are reflecting on that too you are personalizing it.  Undoubtedly in Chinmaya Dhara Deepavali is external but there is also internal Deepavali where you felt Bhagavan Rama never left Ayodhya. Reflect on this. 
4. S4, support. Then there is new dimension of expression that comes. This is almost like outer expression, then comes the inner expression.  Its intensity is not same distance, its exponential.  When you get to this level, you have to start to be dedicated, you have to start to give. It is to give resources. 
5. S5, Serve.  Harder than giving resources is to give time.
6. S6, Surrender.  This is the final one the most difficult to give is effort, Surrender.

Vivek ji explains about last three Ss.  Support, you have to put money where your mouth is.  People sing Tan Man Dhan Sub Kuch Tera, people need to be active backing those words up by giving resources when Arthi Tali comes., more than that is giving time.  Vivek ji was sharing with group of seekers in Boston about donor fatigue.  Where there is donor fatigue there is lack of training.  Some seekers might not be blessed with that opportunity but they might be able to give their time that’s more valuable.  To be more active is to give effort. When we learn about as an example being dedicated and forgetting sacrifice you try so hard not to think about sacrifice.

Scripture & Science: Shrimad Bhagavad Gita chapter 9 sloka 34 shares our expressions towards our relation.  Theme of Chapter Nine is Raja Guhya.  Vivek ji will zoom in to word Guhya.  Guha means like a king but implication is secretive. Secretive means they are close to us, we don’t share secrets with people who are not close to us. Raja Guhya can mean secretive, can mean special.  Bhakti orientation is that this is close to you. 

manmanā bhava madbhakto madyājī māṁ namaskuru

māmevaiṣyasi yuktvaivamātmānaṁ matparāyaṇaḥ||34||

Translation: Fix your mind on Me; be devoted to Me, sacrifice on to Me, bow down to Me; having thus united your (whole) self with Me, taking me as the Supreme goal, you shall come to Me.

Wherever your giving is going to go, you are going to get that back. If you just give to your family, you are going to get your family.  But if you start giving to God, you are going to get God, think of opportunity cost.  Vivek ji taught us Pancha Kosha.  Vivek ji learnt that we actually have Aganitha Kosha. Aganitha means countless. A Kosha means that holds us back. Vivek ji generalizes as six Koshas. We have five that were taught from Upanishad and then General Kosha, our Lifestyle Sheath.

1. First practice in this sloka is yājī, to sacrifice One is expressing our lifestyle towards divinity. 
2. Deeper than that namaskara, this sheath relates to body.  Namaste is me using my hands and words where as namaskara is using my body, I am applying myself. There is a difference between us saying something, VS bringing our body doing it like you can’t keep on saying exercise, you have to exercise. 
3. Third part is mana, is the mind sheath. One’s lifestyle, body, mind should be expressing towards the divine.  Moral of the story of Gene who eats the one who wishes for this power is the mind’s default activity or default thought should be Japa.  When you are chanting Bhagavan’s name and someone says Hari Aum it should take a time to realize that another person is trying to talk to you because you are with Bhagavan chanting his name. 
4. Number four is Parāyaṇa, means Goal, destination, purpose. Our intellect is decisive; our intellect should also be expressing towards divine.  Intellect is the most powerful equipment we have. The way to feed the intellect is through understanding.  There are different fuels for different parts of who we are. All of this is training for number five
5. Madbhakto, this is ego to express divine. Deeper into the ego about who we are is our identity.  Everything revolves around our identity.  If I am an academic then my intellect, my mind is like that. Really our identity should be Bhakta. If your identity is Parent that is at Vyashti level, that trajectory towards Samishti and Sarva is not built into that identity.   

Story: Sudhama is one of Sri Krishna’s best friend.  Sri Krishna became close friend with Sudhama in Gurukula who was not very well educated and not well funded.  Sudhama was so simple he had another name called Kuchela means one whose clothes are not pleasant, torn, dirty. They have left Gurukula after education is complete.  Sudhama didn’t had lot of food, lot of money to take care of his family. Sudhama’s wife reminded him of his best friend Sri Krishna; the King and she suggested Sudhama to go and seek help from Sri Krishna. Since Sudhama could not go empty handed, he took some Poha (puffed rice that is flattened). Security stopped Sudhama at the gate.  Security told Sri Krishna about Sudhama.  Sri Krishna was with his wife Bhagavati Rukmuni, immediately Sri Krishna rushed to meet Sudhama.  He hugged him, held his hand, he brought him in to his palace, his room.  They reminisced how much Rishi Sandipini loved them, how much they loved Rishi Sandipini just enjoying each other’s company.  While they were reminiscing Sri Krishna told Sudhama “I am so hungry.  I hope you brought something with you”. Sudhama was so shy, he was hesitant to share that rustic poha he brought. Sri Krishna saw that pocket and gently took that, opened it and his eyes were bright.  He was delighted.  This is exactly what Sri Krishna wanted is Poha, Sri Krishna started to eat.  Sudhama couldn’t help but moved by how large hearted, how accommodative, how supportive Sri Krishna is.  After eating they both went to sleep.  Next morning he couldn’t bring himself to ask Sri Krishna anything. So, he gave him a hug and told him “I hope we can meet together soon”. Sri Krishna walked Sudhama all the way outside the palace, outside the city and Sudhama went home.  Sudhama couldn’t recognize his hut. He sees a woman who is so healthy and so bright realizes that this is his wife. She had huge smile on her face and she says “You did it, you asked Sri Krishna for help.  Now look at our home, clothes, food”.  Sudhama cried with tears of joy.  Sri Krishna gave him Bukti, pleasures, possession, position to his wife which is what she wanted.  Sri Krishna gave Sudhama Bhakti which is what Sudhama wanted. Sri Krishna is the one who is ever looking at us, and looking after us, ever loving us, he is our friend forever.  Vivek ji’s question to us is Why does Sudhama’s Katha relate to expressing your relation? Reflect on that.

Question1: Can Vivek ji share application or expand on Parayana?

Answer: First point is without Swadhyaya, without being honest with oneself it’s so easy to say you are doing this. Because that’s how society is. Vivek ji shared about intimacy in Sacred Union course. Intimacy is about closeness.  How do you feel Intimate is up to you and your partner may be its cooking or going to concerts. Since when is society the authority in deciding what’s healthy, what’s right. The goal of our life is Moksha.  Really is that the goal of our life? Here Swadhyaya being honest with yourself, and getting to know yourself that is so important for you to understand Parayana. What is the purpose of your day, purpose of your life? Making this more relative. In Sacred Union course, for every module sign is given.  For example, the quality to work on intimacy is purpose, and sign that you are actually doing this is closeness.  The sign that Parayana is really divinity is where is your time and thoughts go.  If I say divinity is my goal but I give so little time to Satsang, to Sadhana then that’s not true.  We all know that it’s not time based its thought based, Vivek ji acknowledges that. When I am conducting my responsibilities if my thoughts are on people then my thoughts are not on purpose then. Where my time and thoughts are going is indicative of Parayana.

Question2: Why does story Bhagavan Krishna whether we read or hear touch something deep inside and make tears flow involuntarily?

Answer: The higher reason is Bhagavan is so important to you and when there is an expression of Bhagavan and others have the same feeling you are moved towards it. Like small example Vivek ji likes to play soccer with a seeker who is good at it. When they both play, they can talk about soccer techniques.  Others can’t relate to that discussion.  You cry because it’s important to you and for others in Satsang its important, it’s just that feeling of oneness that this actually is important. The lower reason is there is a relief from worldliness.  When are being in a genuine Satsang there is no agenda, there is no barrier to entry, you feel relief. It’s so lovely that you can’t help but express yourself.

RAW: Memorize Bhagavad Gitas Chapter 9 sloka 34, not just memorize reflect on it too.

Last week: Chart out the difference between Kama, Sneha, Prema.

Frameworks are a visual of your journey.  We use terms like journey to joy. What does this journey look like? Where are the milestones?  Frameworks provide those milestones.  I am at Vyashti, now Samashti, now Sarva. I am at Kama, I am at Sneha, I am at Prema. So, really document frameworks. They will help you in your journey.