♂️ Want to meet Acharya Prashant?
Be a part of the Live Sessions: https://acharyaprashant.org/hi/enquir...
Want to read Acharya Prashant's Books?
Get Free Delivery: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books?...
Read 3 handpicked wisdom articles, just for you: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/articl...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Video Information: Shastra Kaumudi Live, 16.05.2020, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Context:
तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् ।
क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥
19. These malicious and cruel evil-doers, most degraded of men, I hurl perpetually into the wombs of Asuras only, in these worlds.
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः ।
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥
23. He who, setting aside the ordinance of the Sastra, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not to perfection, nor happiness, nor the Goal Supreme.
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥
24. So let the Šāstra be thy authority in ascertaining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the Sāstra, thou shouldst act here.
~Shrimad Bhagwad Gita (Chapter-16, Verse-19,23,24)
Description of the Asura
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः।
न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते।।
7. The persons of Āsurika nature know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither is purity found in them nor good conduct, nor truth.
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।
अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्।।
8. They say, "The universe is without truth, without a (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause; what else ?"
एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः।
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः।।
9. Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction.
काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः।
मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः।।
10. Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work with impure resolve.
चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः।
कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्िचताः।।
11. Beset with immense cares ending only with death, regarding gratification of lust as the highest, and feeling sure that that is all;
आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः।
ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान्।।
12. Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and wrath, they strive to secure by unjust means hoards of wealth for sensual enjoyment.
इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम्।
इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम्।।
13. "This has been gained by me today; this desire I shall obtain; this is mine, and this wealth also shall be mine in the future.
असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि।
ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी।।
Be a part of the Live Sessions: https://acharyaprashant.org/hi/enquir...
Want to read Acharya Prashant's Books?
Get Free Delivery: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/books?...
Read 3 handpicked wisdom articles, just for you: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/articl...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Video Information: Shastra Kaumudi Live, 16.05.2020, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Context:
तानहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्संसारेषु नराधमान् ।
क्षिपाम्यजस्रमशुभानासुरीष्वेव योनिषु ॥
19. These malicious and cruel evil-doers, most degraded of men, I hurl perpetually into the wombs of Asuras only, in these worlds.
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः ।
न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम् ॥
23. He who, setting aside the ordinance of the Sastra, acts under the impulse of desire, attains not to perfection, nor happiness, nor the Goal Supreme.
तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥
24. So let the Šāstra be thy authority in ascertaining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinance of the Sāstra, thou shouldst act here.
~Shrimad Bhagwad Gita (Chapter-16, Verse-19,23,24)
Description of the Asura
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च जना न विदुरासुराः।
न शौचं नापि चाचारो न सत्यं तेषु विद्यते।।
7. The persons of Āsurika nature know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither is purity found in them nor good conduct, nor truth.
असत्यमप्रतिष्ठं ते जगदाहुरनीश्वरम्।
अपरस्परसम्भूतं किमन्यत्कामहैतुकम्।।
8. They say, "The universe is without truth, without a (moral) basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, with lust for its cause; what else ?"
एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धयः।
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माणः क्षयाय जगतोऽहिताः।।
9. Holding this view, these ruined souls of small intellect and fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction.
काममाश्रित्य दुष्पूरं दम्भमानमदान्विताः।
मोहाद्गृहीत्वासद्ग्राहान्प्रवर्तन्तेऽशुचिव्रताः।।
10. Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work with impure resolve.
चिन्तामपरिमेयां च प्रलयान्तामुपाश्रिताः।
कामोपभोगपरमा एतावदिति निश्िचताः।।
11. Beset with immense cares ending only with death, regarding gratification of lust as the highest, and feeling sure that that is all;
आशापाशशतैर्बद्धाः कामक्रोधपरायणाः।
ईहन्ते कामभोगार्थमन्यायेनार्थसञ्चयान्।।
12. Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and wrath, they strive to secure by unjust means hoards of wealth for sensual enjoyment.
इदमद्य मया लब्धमिमं प्राप्स्ये मनोरथम्।
इदमस्तीदमपि मे भविष्यति पुनर्धनम्।।
13. "This has been gained by me today; this desire I shall obtain; this is mine, and this wealth also shall be mine in the future.
असौ मया हतः शत्रुर्हनिष्ये चापरानपि।
ईश्वरोऽहमहं भोगी सिद्धोऽहं बलवान्सुखी।।
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00In chapter 16 of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna has done something quite special.
00:21Special even by his own exalted standards.
00:26He has made it amply clear what the difference between the asuri man, the man with demonic
00:40tendencies and the divine man is.
00:48Even among these two, he has elaborated upon the demonic man, the asuri man in greater
00:59detail.
01:02Just a few verses are devoted to the one having the right disposition, the divine disposition.
01:14But a lot many verses, more than 10 are devoted to the one having the asuri disposition.
01:24Asuri, you understand, monstrous, demonic, asur.
01:32So the next question comes from there.
01:42Verses 19, 23, 24 and then many others from verse number 7 to verse number 18, all have
01:52been quoted.
01:55I'll start from verse 19 then move to 23 and 24.
02:02These malicious and cruel evildoers, most degraded of men, are hurled perpetually into
02:08the wombs of asurs only in these worlds.
02:15Now then the description of the asur.
02:19He who setting aside the scriptures, the shastras, acts under the impulse of his own desire,
02:33he attains not to perfection nor happiness nor the goal supreme.
02:40Then verse 24, let the shastra, the scripture, be your authority in ascertaining what needs
02:49to be done and what ought not to be done.
02:54Having known what is said in the scriptures, you should act.
03:02So the question then is, Shri Krishna has defined asurs as the ones who act under the
03:09impulse of their desire.
03:15He also says that asurs keep on taking birth in asur wombs and if that is so, then how
03:21will the cycle break?
03:27In modern times reading the shastras and respecting them has been given a rather derogatory meaning.
03:39This makes it even more difficult for people to come closer to the spiritual scriptures.
03:48How come we came this low and what should be done now?
03:59So the first part of the question.
04:06Who is an asur?
04:07An asur is one who keeps the scriptures aside, detests them, ignores them, even derides them
04:25and says what I know is right, what I feel like saying is the truth.
04:34My own experience determines the truth.
04:40That is the relation of the demon with the spiritual scriptures.
04:48He disregards spiritual scriptures, even hates them.
04:53That's what Shri Krishna is very concretely saying in chapter 16 of Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
05:02Instead of listening to the scriptures, they want to act under the impulse of their own
05:10desire.
05:11Their desire they take as supreme.
05:16In fact there is nothing higher from them than the dictates of their own desires and
05:25tendencies.
05:28That's what they call as their liberty and their freedom.
05:31And they say if I feel like doing something, I'll do that.
05:35That is the determinant of my action, my feeling.
05:39If I have an impulse to do something, I'll go ahead and do that.
05:44And if I do that, I'll call myself as a free person and truth is freedom.
05:48Therefore, if I follow the path of my desire, I'll reach truth.
05:54Equally they say that that which makes you happy is worth doing.
05:58According to Shri Krishna, this is an outright demonic approach to life.
06:04The moment you come across someone who says do that which makes you happy, remember Shri
06:10Krishna, he is saying this approach is an asuri approach.
06:17Shri Krishna is saying the defining characteristic of asura is that he will not listen to the
06:23scriptures.
06:24He will just not want to read the scriptures.
06:29Why will he not want to read the scriptures?
06:30Because the scriptures will not allow him to do what he wants to do.
06:35And that's what Shri Krishna is advising him here.
06:38He says in verse 24 of chapter 16 Srimad Bhagavad Gita, let the scripture be the authority.
06:47Let the scripture be the authority.
06:50And it's a great fashion these days to say I will not accept any authority.
07:00For the information of those who detest any kind of authority, here is Shri Krishna for
07:06you.
07:07Chapter 16, Srimad Bhagavad Gita, if that means something to you, who is saying yes
07:13the scriptures are the authority.
07:16And he says Arjun, let the scriptures be the authority.
07:20Let them ascertain what ought to be done and what ought not to be done.
07:25Your own tendencies, your own likes, dislikes, prejudices, proclivities will not determine
07:33what is worth doing, what is worth rejecting.
07:36Refer the scriptures.
07:38Go to them, listen to them, seek advice from them.
07:43Let them tell you what you should do and what you should not do.
07:47If you will not listen to them, then who is it you are going to listen to?
07:52There is only one force or entity then left to command your life.
07:57And that force is called ego.
08:00You will either listen to the scriptures or follow the commands of your ego.
08:05And your ego, yes, obviously is quite dear to you, you are quite identified with it,
08:11but it is not your friend.
08:14It's not going to do you any good to live by your ego.
08:18Not only is your ego not your friend, the ego is actually quite foolish.
08:26Even if it tries to do you good, it will end up harming you badly.
08:33Therefore do not be so confident of yourself.
08:38Have some discretion, have some respect for what the scriptures are saying.
08:46The scriptures are not just utterances coming from some deluded place.
08:56The scriptures do not contain somebody's whimsical utterances coming from a tranced state
09:09or a mystical stupor or something.
09:15The scriptures you can call as research documents of a very high quality.
09:24Just as you have research in the external field, similarly the scriptures are outputs
09:34of deep internal research.
09:40There have been generations and generations of people who have bothered to go deep within
09:46themselves, observe their mind, observe their tendencies, emotions, actions and the entire world.
09:54They have worked really hard, they have observed, they have meditated, they have thought deeply
10:03and then they have presented their findings in these documents to you.
10:11It has taken centuries, for example, for the Upanishads to take shape.
10:20The Upanishads didn't get written in a day or in a month.
10:28The Upanishads are the output of, the summit of a Vedic process that continued for several centuries.
10:44Even the Upanishads remained a work in progress for very long.
10:54So they are research documents that come from a process of deep honesty and patience and
11:09commitment to the truth.
11:12You better benefit from them.
11:16That's what Sri Krishna is advising.
11:19Look at yourself.
11:21You are one person and your entire life experience is 20 years, 40 years, 60 years, right?
11:29And you know how smart you are.
11:31Come on, be honest.
11:35And where do, for example, the scriptures come from, the Upanishads come from?
11:39They really come from a collective process, be it the Vedas or the Guru Granth Sahib.
11:49I'm keeping a few other scriptures aside for the while.
11:54They all have come to us as documents arising out of almost communal work.
12:12When I say communal, what do I mean?
12:14I refer to a community.
12:20So there were hundreds of seers and sages who were contributing their best.
12:32You can probably visualize, six of them have met and someone offers two verses.
12:38He says, I have worked a lot, I have meditated and thought a lot and most of what I could
12:46think of or produce was not worth it, only two verses I have.
12:52These two, in my appreciation, are the highest I could come up with.
13:01And then somebody else says, well, I have nothing today, maybe after six months I'll
13:06come up with one verse.
13:08And somebody says, I have come with a bounty today, four verses from my side.
13:16And then they are collected.
13:19And then there is another team, you could call it a committee, that examines all of
13:23them.
13:24It's an informal thing, you see, there were no real committees.
13:28And then finally from all this, some three or four verses are selected.
13:38And then they are put in that scriptural, you could call it an encyclopedia, an encyclopedia
13:44of the utmost quality.
13:50So here you are, one person with 40 years of experience.
13:55Contrast that against generations and generations of dedicated, committed sages and hundreds
14:06and thousands of them.
14:09One person, 20-40 years of experience with no dedication towards truth and there you
14:14have generations and generations of hundreds and thousands of sages with absolute commitment
14:21to the truth.
14:23Won't you want to listen to them?
14:25Won't you want to at least read that scripture?
14:29But if you are an Asur, you won't.
14:31Because you know with great certainty that if you read that scripture, you will not remain
14:36an Asur.
14:38And that's what the ego really loathes, changing, giving itself up.
14:44I can tolerate anything except a deep change.
14:50You want me to change my clothes?
14:51I am alright with that.
14:53You want me to change my soul?
14:55No, not at all.
14:58Who wants to give up the soul?
15:00Giving up the soul is almost like giving up the ghost.
15:02You are gone, dead.
15:06To defend his pervert life, the Asur comes up with fantastic arguments.
15:11Those arguments have all been listed by Shri Krishna and they all look so relevant, so
15:17contemporary.
15:18It's almost as if Shri Krishna and Arjuna are standing today right here in front of
15:22us and Shri Krishna is talking about the utterances and arguments and defenses of all those who
15:28want to run away from the scriptures.
15:32See, I am reading out the verses for you, starting from verse number 7 of chapter 16.
15:40The persons of Asurika nature do not know what to do and what to avoid, neither is purity
15:48found in them nor good conduct nor truth.
15:52What do they say?
15:53They say, oh, there is nothing called the truth.
15:55The universe is without truth.
15:57Don't you hear that?
16:02That sounds familiar, does it not?
16:05There are prevailing ideologies today, dominant ideologies today that say there is nothing
16:11called a central truth.
16:13They say there are multiple truths.
16:15There are as many truths as there are minds and even one particular mind is free to change
16:21its truth 20 times a day.
16:25So that's a great characteristic, a defining characteristic of the Asur.
16:30They say the universe is without truth, without any basis really, in the sense that there
16:37is nothing concrete, nothing metaphysical that upholds this physical world.
16:45The physical world is all that there is.
16:50There is no God and that we are the ones as human beings, as persons who have been brought
16:58about only by sexual union of people.
17:02So that's their identity.
17:03You ask them, who are you?
17:05They say, we are bodies and we are here due to the sexual mating of mother and father.
17:15That's how they look at themselves.
17:18They do not believe in consciousness at all.
17:22Does that not sound pretty contemporary?
17:25People who say, oh, all are bad bodies, why do you want to talk of consciousness?
17:34And if you will ask an Asur, what is the cause behind this universe, they will say lust.
17:43What else?
17:44Lust, what else?
17:50So to them, what's another name for God?
17:56Lust, because who is God?
17:59The first cause of the universe and according to the Asur, there is no God.
18:04So the cause of the universe is lust, we are products of lust, we are bodies and bodies
18:09come from lust.
18:13Then holding such views, these ruined souls of Asurs of small intellect and fierce deeds
18:22rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction.
18:26They hold their views very confidently, very furiously, very stubbornly.
18:33These ruined souls of small intellect but fierce deeds, their intellect is small but
18:38their action is vigorous.
18:48Filled with insatiable desires, great are their desires.
18:53Full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work with
19:00impure resolve, desires, hypocrisy, pride, arrogance, evil ideas.
19:07Not at all something that you cannot relate to, not at all something that was found exclusively
19:12on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, it's found everywhere, in our cities, in our communities,
19:22in our houses and within ourselves, is it not?
19:27Beset with immense cares ending only with death, they are troubled with great anxieties
19:33that end only with death, regarding gratification of lust as the highest and feeling sure that
19:40that is all.
19:41They are very sure that that is all.
19:43What is all?
19:44Lust.
19:45Is it?
19:46That's all.
19:47That's the samambonana of life.
19:50That's the highest that the life can offer you, its greatest potential.
19:59Bounded by a hundred ties of hope given over to lust and wrath, they strive to secure by
20:04unjust means hordes of wealth for sensual enjoyment.
20:08Striving to secure by unjust means hordes of wealth for sensual enjoyment.
20:13Seen that before?
20:15Seen that everywhere?
20:17Striving to hoard wealth by unjust means just for the sake of sensual enjoyment.
20:27That's the characteristic of an Asur.
20:29You find somebody doing this, he is an outright Asur.
20:37This has been gained by me today, the Asur says.
20:42This has been gained by me today, I have achieved this today and this desire shall I obtain
20:48in the future.
20:49This I have already achieved and this I will obtain next.
20:53This is mine and this wealth also shall be mine in the future.
20:57Some things I have attained and the other things I would attain.
21:02That's how the mind of the Asur works.
21:06That's the thought he is always filled up with.
21:10What have I attained?
21:12What remains to be attained?
21:15That enemy I have slain and others also shall I slay.
21:21That's what the Asur is saying.
21:23I have slain that enemy and that one is the next.
21:28I am the Lord.
21:31I am the Lord.
21:32There is no God.
21:33So obviously I am the Lord.
21:34I am the Lord.
21:35I enjoy.
21:36I am successful, powerful, happy.
21:39I am the Lord.
21:40I am successful, powerful, happy.
21:44You see how timeless these Asurs are.
21:49When we talk of this time age as Kali Yuga, Asurs were in equal abundance even at that
22:00time.
22:02In no way does this look like something historical or outdated.
22:08This is extremely contemporary.
22:10This is directly relevant.
22:13In fact, if I do not tell you that this is coming from the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, you
22:18will take it as a commentary on the current times, won't you?
22:25I am rich.
22:26I am well-born.
22:27Who is equal to me?
22:31I will conduct religious ceremonies.
22:33I will make donations.
22:36I will rejoice.
22:40Who is equal to me?
22:41I can do anything and because I do not follow the real religion, therefore I will delight
22:48in religious ceremonies.
22:50Don't you see religious ceremonies prevailing all over?
22:55All external forms of religion are prospering.
23:01This method, that technique, this asana, that Kriya.
23:06The one central thing is missing.
23:08What is the central thing that Shri Krishna is saying?
23:10The scriptures.
23:11Scriptures are missing.
23:13All else is there.
23:16I will follow all external kinds of, all external marks of religion.
23:22I will just avoid the scriptures and Shri Krishna was very clear.
23:28So many millennia back, he said this is what the Asuras do and will continue to do.
23:35He does not say, mind you, that the Asuras totally avoid religion.
23:40He says the Asuras do actually participate in religion, but what is their participation
23:45all about?
23:46Oh, can we wear the sacred thread?
23:50So there is the Yagyopavit ceremony.
23:52Can we worship this animal?
23:55Can we engage in this kind of Kriya?
23:58Can we celebrate that festival?
23:59All these things they will do, except going right to the scriptures and which scriptures
24:08is Shri Krishna talking of?
24:10Don't forget that the Bhagavad Gita itself is a part of Prasthantrayi and the other two
24:17members of Prasthantrayi are the Upanishads and Brahmasutra.
24:22The Upanishads are what we call as Vedanta.
24:25Shri Krishna is definitely talking of Vedanta because the Bhagavad Gita itself is called
24:32an Upanishad.
24:35Shri Krishna is referring to Vedanta here.
24:38Who are the Asuras?
24:39They will engage in all kinds of pseudo science, even pseudo religion, but will with great
24:45determination avoid Vedanta.
24:48That's the mark of the Asura.
24:49And remember that Asura, the demon, really need not have all the ostensible and external
25:00characteristics that we attribute to a monster.
25:06He might be looking almost like a Rishi in appearance.
25:14He might take up the form and shape and all the external and artificial attributes of
25:22a sage, a seer.
25:25Do not judge him by that.
25:27Know him by his attitude towards the scriptures.
25:31Shri Krishna is very clear.
25:34If somebody avoids the scriptures, he is an Asura.
25:38And if you want to know in life what to do, what not to do, who you are and who you are
25:44not, then you have to go by scriptural advice.
25:49Are you getting it?
25:53Bewildered by many a fancy, covered by the meshes of delusion, addicted to the gratification
25:59of lust, they fall into a foul hell.
26:03They surely do, but they still don't learn.
26:09Self-conceited, haughty, filled with the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform religious
26:15ceremonies in name out of ostentation disregarding the scriptures.
26:20So that's already talked about this in advance.
26:25They will perform all kinds of religious activities, but only as an ostentation.
26:32Just to demonstrate.
26:35But they will disregard the ordinance, the scriptural advice.
26:42They will not listen to the scriptures, they will keep performing religious ceremonies
26:45and activities and this and that.
26:47Some dance they will perform, some other gathering in the name of religion.
26:51One thing will always be missing, scripture.
26:58Filled of egoism, power, insolence, lust and wrath, these malignant people hate me,
27:04the truth within, in their own bodies and those of others.
27:09Obviously they have to hate Krishna.
27:11They will not talk of Krishna, they will not refer to Bhagavad Gita, they will not refer
27:15to the Upanishads, they will not go to the saints, seers, sages.
27:24Light cannot survive in the face, darkness cannot survive in the face of light.
27:34Why will they go to the sages?
27:44Shri Krishna does not merely say that they will not go to the sages, he uses a strong
27:49word, he says, these malignant people hate me, in their own bodies and in the bodies
27:55of others.
27:58So within their own self, if somehow by grace, a spark arises, they will despise themselves
28:12for having some inner light.
28:17If somehow inner light manages to arise in them, it will spoil their mood, they will
28:27say, unnecessarily today I was having some insight, it totally ruined my day.
28:35Similarly, if they find somebody else full of insight and respect towards the scriptures,
28:45it will turn enemies to that person.
28:52Today if the situation is so bad, as the questioner says, he says, how did we come so low and
29:15what should be done?
29:16He is saying, in modern times, in today's times, going to the scriptures has almost
29:23become a derogatory thing and this is making it even more difficult for people to read
29:31the scriptures.
29:32He is asking, how have we come so low and now what should be done?
29:37How have we come so low, Maya?
29:44I could go to history and talk of the historical forces that brought us to this unfortunate
29:51point but that won't serve much purpose.
29:59So simply say Maya, Maya has brought us to a position where we are not merely ignoring
30:08the scriptures but actually insulting them.
30:14It has become a thing of pride to proclaim that one has not read any scripture.
30:21In fact, if you are intellectual, then it adds to your accomplishments or to your stature
30:30if you say that you actively avoid the scriptures, oh I don't read any religious books, I read
30:37only intellectual nonsense, sometimes erotica probably but nothing spiritual of any kind.
30:53Man's ego touches the words of the religious masters and spoils those words.
31:07The religious injunctions are corrupted and degraded by man's touch.
31:14Man corrupts religion and when religion indeed does get corrupted, man blames religion for
31:22corrupting him.
31:24It is an astonishing wizardry performed by man.
31:38So there are the words of the sages that have been bequeathed to man.
31:46Man has them.
31:48Now man makes a formal organized structure, a formal religion out of those words and because
31:58man has made that structure, that structure has imperfections and in the course of time
32:07those imperfections only grow.
32:12Several centuries pass and the entire religious structure becomes corrupted, degraded, starts
32:22to crumble and becomes a basis for all kinds of insanities and exploitation and then what
32:31does man do?
32:32Instead of accepting that man created an organized structure around the holy scriptures and that
32:41structure was imperfect, man starts blaming the scriptures.
32:49Why must man blame the scriptures?
32:51So that man need not blame himself.
32:56Once I said, your face is smeared with mud and religion is like pure water meant to be
33:09thrown on your face so that you get cleaned up.
33:15Religion is pure water, you are ego.
33:18Your face is smeared with mud but when that water hits your face, the water too gets muddy
33:32but falling on your face, the water has cleared away some of the mud.
33:37So now you can open your eyes and when you open your eyes, you find dirty water around
33:43you and then what is it that you say, oh this dirty water has spoiled my face.
33:49I see this water is dirty, it has spoiled my face.
33:51No, the water is absolutely clean.
33:55Coming in contact with you, the water has become dirty.
33:57Now instead of looking at your own dirtiness, your own filth, your own tendency to remain
34:04dirty, you are blaming that which could have relieved you from your foul state.
34:17That's what has been man's approach towards religion.
34:20We corrupt the holy words of the prophets, of the seers, sages, our well-wishers and
34:27when religion is corrupted, we start blaming religion as the root cause of all our troubles
34:36and then what is our prognosis, what do we conclude, we say throw religion out of the
34:41window.
34:42We say religion is what is causing all the trouble, throw religion out, throw religion
34:47out but then ask yourself why was religion needed in the first place.
34:52Religion was needed in the first place because man is a conscious animal.
34:56You cannot survive without religion.
34:59You do not merely live on food and money and clothes and all the social things that can
35:07be given.
35:10You need something that uplifts your consciousness.
35:13Your consciousness is a caged bird crying for freedom.
35:18Religion is the key that will open up the cage.
35:28Religion is the key that will unlock the cage.
35:33Otherwise you can keep giving all the material goodies to the bird within the cage, the bird
35:39would still be deeply discontented.
35:45Man cannot live without spirituality and you cannot have personal spirituality.
35:55It is nonsensical.
35:56You cannot say my spirituality is entirely personal.
35:59What kind of a spiritual person are you?
36:01You see I just learned from life.
36:04This is stupid.
36:06You will have to go to the scriptures.
36:09That does not mean that you have to follow the scriptures blindly but at least go to
36:12them.
36:14If you have any sincerity, if you are even half serious about knowing life then why will
36:25you avoid a document that contains deep insights into life?
36:34If I say I am a student of life and still with great determination I avoid a document
36:42that contains deep insights into life that merely shows that I am not at all sincere
36:48as a student.
36:49I just don't want to know about life.
36:51Else how could I have avoided that document?
36:53Nobody is asking you, I repeat, to blindly follow that document.
36:58But how have you managed to not even read it?
37:07That's why your foundation is trying really hard to bring these eminent scriptures to
37:18everybody.
37:24This course that you are participating in right now is a part of that initiative.
37:37This is probably what mankind needs the most at this juncture.
37:43We need the scriptures to reach every single human being.
37:51We need people to read these documents with attention.
37:57You might find some parts there that have become outdated, that are no more relevant
38:04today.
38:06There is no compulsion to take them seriously or abide by them.
38:12But then there is a lot there that is extremely relevant, extremely useful, starkly contemporary.
38:24That's what we are trying.
38:25We are hosting courses in both Hindi, English, you know of that.
38:35And we are making these discussions available to the general public, everybody.
38:51As our efforts gain strength, as our mission gains more resources, we'll be able to hopefully
39:03penetrate every dark corner of humanity with due light.
39:21The enemies of scriptures were there when Krishna spoke to Arjuna.
39:32And the haters of scriptures exist equally today.
39:42At the same time, there were people then who spoke of the centrality of scriptures and
39:53there are forces today that want to uphold the scriptures.
40:02I will request everybody who is watching this today or any time in the future to support
40:12the right force, to choose the right side, be with the scriptures, help us, support us,
40:22take this mission ahead.