November 2, 2025
Kumba Karna, though symbolizes is Tamas told Ravana (who symbolizes Rajasic) “What you are doing will bring your own downfall”. Kumba Karna had traces of Sattva in him. During the fight Sri Vibheeshana shared with him that Ravana doesn’t listen to anyone Ravana let go of Sri Vibheeshana. Kumba Karna started to praise Sri Vibheeshana with such honesty “Though you are let go from our family you are Kula Vibhushana. You are the jewel/pride of our family for you to be serving Sri Rama”. Vivek ji is sharing this despite all confusions joining this class is the best for our families. Being part of Bhakti Time is going against the grain but really, it’s going towards the God. Those who are not going against the grain that’s passive Preya; that’s them succumbing to Vibhuti/power.
Class 8 was on Bhagavan’s assurance. Stane was the key teaching of Bhagavan’s assurance. At the beginning of Bhagavad Gita Prince Arjuna shares “I am not longer going to fight, I am no longer going to stand, I am not longer going to even speak”. He puts his bow down, sits down and looks down. Sri Krishna began guiding. Prince Arjuna started asking questions about Sri Krishna though he uses words like “Tell me about wise persons, tell me about divinity” at the end of Chapter two. In Chapter Eleven he wants to see Sri Krishna in addition to knowing about him, going from ears to eyes. Sri Krishna shows his Vishwa Rupa where everything is held in Sri Krishna, the Sun and the moon, all of the people. Prince Arjuna understands that there is ONLY Sri Krishna, the Sanskrit word is ēva. So, his understanding was all is as all is or all is all his. If there is no other, ēva only Sri Krishna then, fear goes away. We do not fear ourselves there is fear as soon as there is another. Relatedly Stane, feeling of all is, all his there is no fear and no insecurity which is Bhagavan’s assurance. One comes to this understanding by Sri Krishna’s dadāmi, “I give this understanding. You work smart, hard and Sattvic but finally it is through my grace upayānti, you come to feel me”. We are so stuck on if I work hard, smart I will get what I want, which could be applicable to secular matters. In sacred matters there is strong element of surrender or allowance. Another quality of surrender and allowance is humility that I can only work hard and smart, after that God’s grace is going to make me feel. One of Vivek ji’s favorite quotes of Pujya Swami Chinmayananda is “Put your ego in an envelope and offer it as your Guru Dakshina”, this will give us Bhagavan’s assurance.
Theme: Class 9 is central and favorite class for Vivek ji. It is about Bhagavan’s acceptance. First assurance I will do that for you then acceptance I feel like he is doing this for me.
Science: Bhagavan’s acceptance is an acceptance of those who need Bhagavan not those who want Bhagavan. Me wanting food for hunger or boredom VS me needing Oxygen, are incomparable. Remember our community raised 100,000 in 2021 for those in Delhi struggling for Oxygen. At the least, we know theoretically the necessity for Oxygen. It is those who need Bhagavan not want, want still is Api which means also I want my family, also Bhagavan. Here Eva, I need Bhagavan alone. I came to this clarity that this is the only way I feel complete. This is when we feel Bhagavan’s acceptance of us. We have heard “Purpose pulls performance”. What pulls purpose? If we reflect on this, purity pulls purpose. Another word for purity is clarity. When I am clear about a purpose, I feel it and it pulls performance. In reference to Bhakti when we engaged in devotional actions its like using our head, when we have devotional attitude, it’s us using our heart. Bhagavan wants devotional attitude. My action is like my exterior my attitude is like my interior that is more intimate. Me wanting Bhagavan is an action which is context based, me needing Bhagavan is in all contexts. Like we should not stop Gayatri Mantra, the core of the Veda irrespective of any circumstance, we should be living it perpetually. Bhagavan’s acceptance comes to those with Bhava feeling I need Bhagavan period no context, no condition.
Scripture: We define Ramayana as Path of Rama at the action level. At the attitude level it is not just path of Rama but path to Rama. Bhagavan Rama lives in our hearts. In Aranya Khanda 2nd Chaupai in 16th section of Dohas, Sri Laxmana asks Sri Rama “What is Bhakti”? Bhakti is When I depend on Bhagavan. We externalize dependency. I depend on my tires, cell phone which is an inter dependency. Dependence here means there is no other purpose. “So sutantra avalamba na ana” which means for the one who is practicing Bhakti they don’t know any other dependence. There is only Bhagavan. Only Bhagavan to depend on. This dependence leads to remembrance. Connecting this to Advaita Vedanta. Original sin that we inflict upon ourselves is Avidya, forgetting. Forgetting that Bhagavan lives in my heart. If dependence leads to remembrance this is not Bhakti but this is Vidya, practice in remembering. In Narada Bhakti Sutra Rishi Narada shares when one forgets Bhagavan one feels sad. We feel sad because context is not working in our favor like for loss of life or opportunity. One who is dependent on Bhagavan feels sadness when they forget Bhagavan, it is internal. Pain can be endured but sadness is overwhelming, its comprehensive, we can’t do anything.
Story: Sri Ramakrishna needed Bhagavan not wanted Bhagavan from the time he was born. Vivek ji wants us to deeply reflect that want implies also, need implies alone. Those who want Bhagavan there is an assurance they don’t feel that acceptance. Those who need Bhagavan they know there is an assurance and they feel the acceptance. Sri Ramakrishna became a Pujari. He thought if he was in a context where the focal point was Bhagavan that would help him. We are the best students in Satsang, it becomes context based. Though he became Pujari he felt very much in need of Bhagavan offline. Every moment he wasn’t feeling Bhagavan he would cry like a child would cry when he doesn’t see his parents in a new place. Sri Ramakrishna felt this generally not just in a physiological way in a physical way. A seeker shared with Vivek ji that he would inflict physical pain just so that he would be introspective. This pain like in Shrimad Bhagavatam when Bhagavan Sri Krishna un-manifests Gopis longed him for more. Sri Ramakrishna almost put this ultimatum to divine mother “If you don’t accept me, I would end this life, this opportunity so that in the next life, next opportunity you will accept me”. See the level of dependance. That’s when he had the Anudarshana that is not seeing with one’s eyes but feeling with one’s heart. The Anudarshana means there is only Bhagavati Kali, there is no other. He felt this and displayed this. When it came to his relationship with Bhagavati Kali he would act like a child. When it came to his relationship with Bhagavan Krishna he felt like Bhagavati Radha. In this example imagine the strength to feel, a man identifying as woman in reference to a being that he physically can’t see. It was natural for him because there was only Bhagavati Kali there were no Kshatriyas, Vysyas, Sudras as he was brahmana in reference to society.
One day when Sri Ramakrishna was offering Arti to Bhagavati Kali, he turned it around and offered Arti to himself. When people talked to him, he said I was offering the Arti where I saw the mother, there was such oneness for him.
Sri Ramakrishna had no dependence on money. Swami Vivekananda wanted to test Sri Ramakrishna by placing two coins under his mattress. When Sri Ramakrishna woke up, he complained to his caretakers that his body is burning there. When they lifted his shirt there were two burnt marks the size of the coins. Because Sri Ramakrishna had only one dependence it was immediately relieved. This was like testing Sri Vivekananda not testing Sri Ramakrishna. When Pujya Swami Vivekananda came as Naredra Nath Datta asked “Do you see God” Sri Ramakrishna responded “I see God more clearly than I see you, you as an ego is so unclear. You as divinity is most clear”.
Bhagavan’s acceptance:
- The Science, it is Bhava based, not Karma based
- The Scripture, Bhagavan Rama tells Sri Laxmana Bhakti is when you shift your dependence from also to alone
- The story is not a mythology it is theology. Sri Ramakrishna lived this.
Discussion Subject: How do you know you are forgetting God? How do I know I am forgetting my keys, I can’t open my car.
Vivek ji: For Vivek ji it is purposelessness. When Vivek ji feels purposeless then Vivek ji knows that Vivek ji has forgotten God is the purpose. Couple of more reflections. When Bhagavan Rama was sharing with Sri Laxmana about dependence the Avadhi, text in the Ramayana is sharing I don’t know anything else. When you don’t know anything else then there is such natural dependence on what you know. Our predicament is that we know so many things like sports, politics. This is just theory for those who don’t know how to say no, or de-prioritize. You have to say NO for example to socializing for this to become application
RAW: Engage in Bhava of the Bhakti without Karma. For example, don’t chant Vishnu Sahasra Nama just sit there for 30 minutes and feel Bhagavan Narayana.
Last Week: Think, say and act Hari Iccha. Don’t give up on this, don’t let it go. It’s like dependence you try it to become more real, it is not theory any more. Hari Iccha helps one to create Atma Vasana where I start to feel that I am the spirit not just this body