Sep 14th 2025

Vivek ji is continuing with Bhagavatam relating to the Parenting retreat. 10^th factor is Samskara.  Practical definition of Samskara is means, all of us need means like Zoom which is a means for Vivek ji to connect to those in all other cities/states etc.  The verb for Samskara is following.  Thinking is one way but following is another.  I think I can do it, actually following through is different.  So, Dhyana, Mantra, Samskara, they are all connected.

• Dhyana is my future
• Mantra is my message
• Samskara is my means.
  • Tamasic Samskara it is when I am following but it is making me lazy, this is when I am compromising.  When I have this plan or this purpose and I compromise on it, it’s an extension of laziness. 
  • Rajasic Samskara that makes me more aggressive.  It is when I am trying to follow through, but I do this at a competing level I only do it if you do it.  Vivek ji has been sharing with his children that the Rajasic way to be grateful is when you see someone less privileged than you. When we someone who is holding a sign saying that they didn’t eat anything then we are grateful for what we ate.  It’s always in reference to someone else.  That is not an independent gratitude.  So, if I am following through only because I am competing against others it is still dependent.
  • Sattvic Samskara is me following through to make myself more, quiet is to be committed.  There are so many things we are committed to like Sunday morning football.  People’s whole week changes around that commitment.  Can we do the same towards our message in our future?  Because this is all going to help me be compassionate.

Trying to make this even more tactile for us.  A way that Vivek ji lives by Samskara is N.O., Not Optional.  When you made a commitment to the Gym, to the Ashram, to the waking up early, to not reacting whatever your commitment to, it’s no longer option. In our Pooja we take that Sankalpa, we even set up a force field around us saying may nothing makes option not optional.  Even though Vivek ji is in Orland this class is not option for Vivek ji. Bhagavan Krishna is telling Rishi Uddhava, he is treating Rishi Uddhava like his own child, like in Bhagavad Gita Bhagavan Krishna calls Prince Arjuna Taata, which means child.  Prince Arjuna and Bhagavan Krishna are cousins.  But he calls him you are my child.  So, he is telling Rishi Uddhava you are my child.  If you become quieter or more compassionate in these ten contexts that means you are more like me which means you will be with me.  Bhagavan Krishna is the one who had the most relationships.  No body has more relationships than him.  He was independent and because he was independent, he was loving.  This is the beauty of this very specific portion of this chapter, of this section, of this map. 

Now Bhakti Time

Growing up we all had some interesting notions of Bhakti is. When Vivek ji says Bhakti chanting, flowers, smoke come to our mind.  Bhakti in English is devotion.  Vivek ji is pretty clear that we never, ever, ever use the word Bhakti outside of this room. Its just another word like consciousness which we never use outside of this room.  So, Bhakti means devotion but try to make this more than a word, to make this a feeling.  Bhakti is dedication which we use outside of this room.  We are dedicated to our family.  We are dedicated to our professions.  We are training ourselves to understand Bhakti in this class.  So that its not just a word but its more than that it’s a feeling.  Pujya Swami Tejomayananda has shared that spirituality is not an action it is vision behind all actions.  So, what is Bhakti and dedication.  It is not just chanting or flowers or smoke.  It is to feel whom you are dedicated to always.  And then to connect at that level. Suppose you injured elbow or tooth taken out even though you are in class you still feel it.  When you drive you feel it, when you eat you feel it, when you shower you feel it for this to be felt. 

Last week we focused on why Bhakti?  Each of the 32 weeks we are going to go through why Bhakti.  It is going to be systematic.  Why do we want Bhakti in our lives?  Why do we need Bhakti in our lives?  Because of security.  We have so much external security in our lives but we are missing internal security.  When you miss that it is called insecurity.  How come we feel insecure when we have so much security?  And the bigger picture is because we feel separate from divinity.  I don’t feel separate from you; I don’t feel separate from me but I feel separate from Bhagavan Shiva.  And that’s real gauge of Satsanga is inclusivity.  How do you know you are in an environment of Satsang, where you feel included in that space and time.  You feel more that inclusivity.  Vivek ji hopes that we all feel this inclusivity during Bhakti Time, Vedantic Leadership course, Meaningful Mornings.  Adding one more review before we go on to the next part of understanding.  For those who are in Satsanga if you are feeling Satsanga Seva should naturally come out of you.  What should come out of service because service is a visceral experience?  Me feeling more of a oneness.  In Satsanga I theorize about it but if I am feeling about this, when I am out of Satsanga I feel like serving you, serving you, serving all.  Service is missing in your life.  Vivek is going to infer that Satsang is more passive for you than active.

Our next subject is the utility of Bhakti.  Week 1, why Bhakti?  Week 2, the utility of Bhakti.  Here is science aspect of Bhakti.  Everyone’s evolution is different.  Everyone who listens to Vivek ji they think that they are the most evolved person in the room.  But everyone’s evolution is different because of this everyone’s strategy in terms of feeling more inclusivity is different.  Some people feel more security by socializing. Some people feel more secured by Seva.  Sheela ji was sharing with Vivek ji that both of them are seekers, they both have same vision but the intensity of their seeking and reaching that vision may be Sheela ji’s purpose in life might be joyous but Vivek ji’s purpose for sure is to be independently joyous.  So, they both are trying to reach the same ends but their intensity while they are on this path is different. 

Scripture: Offering our scriptural reference now.  Last week we referenced sloka 22, chapter 9 from Bhagavad Gita where Bhagavan Krishna shares, I am not interested in what you are offering I am interested in why you are offering. The scripture that supports this science of everyone’s evolution is different and so everyone’s strategy for Bhakti is different is Bhagavad Gita’s Chapter 7.  Theme of Chapter 7 is Vignana, in English it would be wisdom.  We are exposed to a lot of knowledge but when it becomes your own it is wisdom specifically verse 16.  In this verse Sri Krishna shares with Prince Arjuna four types of Bhaktas.  Here is what they are with least evolved to most evolved.

1. Aartha, the least evolved level of Bhakta.  Their utility of Bhakti is to come out of adversity.  Why did they come to Satsang, why did they learn about Bhagavatam because they want to come out of adversity.  English word for Aartha is emotional. Artha Bhakta in our culture, that personality is Devi Droupadi.  When she was in extreme adversity it is then she practiced Bhakti or prayer and she came out of that adversity.
2. More evolved is Arthaarthi, breaking it up it is Artha, Aarthi. Such a person engaged in Bhakti to come into prosperity.  It’s like suppose we are drowning into water our prayer would be not to drown.  If I am swimming my prayer was, I wish I was on a Yacht so that’s like Artha, Aarthi. English word for Arthaarthi is practical.  An example of Arthaarthi Bhakta is Sugreva.  Sugreva wanted the restoration of him being the king of the monkeys.  He wanted that prosperity.  That was very clear.  When we studied Ramayana when he regained being the King of the monkeys, he forgot to help Bhagavan Rama.  Sri Laxmana had to remind him.
3. The third more intense one is Jignasu, one who wants to be liked by Bhagavan.  English word for Jignasu is intellectual. Raja Janaka is example of Jignasu.  When Rishi Viswamitra takes Bhagavan Rama and Sri Laxmana (they were teenagers at that time) to JanakaPuri/Mithila, Raja Janaka comes to meet him.  Though Raja Janaka was talking to Rishi Vishwamitra he just keeps looking at his sons and talking to Rishi Vishwamitra.  And he says are they Bramhan?  Because all my mind wants to know is Bramhan, are they Bramhan?  Because I can’t stop looking at them.
4. The highest the most evolved is Jnani.  That is the person who is not like Bhagavan, the one who is with Bhagvan.  English word for Jnani experiential where one wants to be with Bhagavan.  Bhakta Prahlada is the example of Jnani.  In Shrimad Bhagavatam there are 18,000 slokas, there are thousands of personalities.  But foremost is Bhakta Prahlada.  He didn’t want to be like Bhagavan.  He was with Bhagavan. His father was essentially an assassin.  But he lived fearlessly.

Science: What is the utility of Bhakti? The utility depends on evolution and related intensity.  What is the proof of this?  What is the support of this?  In Bhagavad Gita chapter 7 verse 16.

Story: Devi Draupadi from Maha Bharata.  Maha Bharata is made up of Parvas/sections.  This is in the Sabha Parva.  Sabha is court area.  Lot of you know the details, but Vivek ji wants to bring emotion out of this.  Raja Yudhistira accepts to play game of dice with his cousins.  Back in the day when someone challenged you, you couldn’t say no.  He had a liking for gambling but he was not a gambler.  That was the culture of the time.  He played and lost.  He lost so many things.  The very cheating cousins challenged him to play again. At this point he had no articles, so he was being with beings.  He was betting with his brothers.  His betting was with his own self.  But he didn’t have a choice and within all of this also who was waged was Devi Droupadi.  When he lost, everyone on the Pandavas side put their heads down.  Imagine if I did something wrong, I can’t even look at your eyes.  I look down.  All of the Kauravas thought of Devi Draupadi as human, they thought of her as animal. So, they sent Dusshasana to go and get her.  She said what are you doing here, these are my private chambers.  He said nothing about their side they cheated, he said your husband did this to you.  It’s almost like he was trying to break her heart before breaking her body.  He grabs her by her hair publicly.  She comes there and stunned at what is happening.  How is this even possible.  All of those Pandavas had their head down.  Even this is impossible. They asked her to take her clothes off.  She is a warrior Princes, she wouldn’t take them off.  So, Dusshasana starts to pull the upper part of the saree.  Two emotions Pandavas’s feeling are some its grieving; it’s not like sadness any more.  It’s like grieving.  For others its not anger its rage.  Earlier it was sad and angry now it has become to the extreme. Devi Draupadi knowing she can’t protect herself.  She gave up her self-defense because she couldn’t do it.  They are all warriors with their weapons.  So, her clothes keep coming off.  She is looking to Yudhishthira, she is looking all Pathis, the protectors.  Everyone’s head is down.  She is literally moving can you help me, can you help, can you help me, can you help me. And finally, she gets to Acharya Bhishma.  He is the grandfather, the grandsire the person that is most respected in that Sabha.  He said no with his eyes, put his hands up.  And he was almost like showing her the way I can’t help myself, you also can’t help yourself.  That is when she stopped holding on to clothes and she put her hands up like we put our hands up Om Namo Parvathi Pathaye Hara.  That is when finally, the help she sought was Bhagavan.  That is so relatable because in adversity we go to everyone, prayer is the last option.  When prayer is to be the first option.  Like I myself need help if you come to me what kind of logic is that.  I should go ask help the one who doesn’t need help. That’s why Vivek ji keeps saying Bhagavan Krishna was most independent which enabled him to be the most loving.  When she put her hands up Bhagavan was in other region of the kingdom.  He immediately felt that prayer, that’s why we chant Tum Antaryami.  Antaryami means you know me more than I know me. He was just hanging out with Devi Rukmini, his family.  He got up from his chair, he starts running in the direction of Devi Draupadi.  It is at that time Narayana became an Avatara in the form of Bhagavan Krishna.  Then Bhagavan Krishna became another Avatara, the Vastra Avatara.  How incredible it is.  Vivek ji shared this before, Divinity is at us, Divinity is ever looking after us.  Our God became cloth.  God becoming this man, that woman, God becoming this animal, that animal.  Our God became cloth.  And as that cloth was coming off more cloth was coming on. Devi Draupadi was able to see Bhagavan Krishna.  Its remarkable because Pandavas who were quiet could see that. Kauravas couldn’t see Bhagavan because their minds were too loud.  Finally Dusshasana was tired he collapses and she collapses. Please don’t interpret that Devi Draupadi is low, Vivek ji is not saying that.  In this metaphor she is at the lowest type of Bhakta, or Bhakti.  Here is that Katha part of it. 

Every week we class with sing, then to seek with Vivek ji’s teachings, then outside of this time is to serve to feel this support and serve, to feel this outside of this controlled environment.

Discussion Subject: What do you want from Bhagavan? 

Vivek ji: Last week semester started on Poornima.  Poornima means completion that can only be felt when you are with completeness that is Bhagavan.  What does Vivek ji wants from Bhagavan.  I want all of the lower prayers is to wanting from Bhagavan.  But the highest prayer is wanting for Bhagavan.  The times what when Vivek ji becomes too Rajasic and then even Tamasic what does Vivek ji wants from Bhagavan?  Vivek ji wants him/her/it to protect that which he feels is his. That’s a good sign or gauge for you whatever pray for you feel is yours, Vivek ji s not saying this in a healthy way.  Vivek ji’s Rajasic, Tamasic prayers are for his children. They are not even for Vivek ji’s wife or parents or anyone like that.  It is a sign to Vivek ji that Vivek ji has to be more careful that this feeling that these are Vivek ji’s kids they are not Vivek ji’s kids they are his kids. 

Others are sharing

• To remember Bhagavan always
• He knows what I need. environment.

RAW: Last week Vivek ji gave us a RAW about gratitude guide.  Today also Vivek ji talked about input prayer, output prayer but this is not your RAW.  Vivek ji is not giving formal RAWs until next week.