Puruśottamāya namah

Hiraṇyakaśipu continued, “When the manas (the processing mind) wavers due to the influence of these material objects which are the outcomes of trigunas, then the Self which in reality is unmoving and beyond transformations, attains oneness with the manas and believes it has transformed along with it. In reality, the manas (the processing aspect of mind) does not undergo transformation”.

Swamiji explains: We wrongly presume that mind is depressed, when it is the buddhi (determinative faculty, intellect, another aspect of mind) that gets tainted. The day the buddhi is fine, we say we are feeling enthusiastic and happy. Manas neither gets involved in good nor bad actions.

“Although manas is unconnected with the body and senses, it mistakenly construes that it is connected to them”.

Swamiji explains: Manas remains an eternal witness. It is Paramatma. It is all-pervading. What is the meaning of Paramatma? Para means invisible. Atma means Self. It thus refers to the invisible all-pervading Self! It cannot be harmed. If the body is harmed or damaged beyond repair it leaves the body, that’s all! You can waste all your life in setting your body right; you can spend all your energies on multiple operations but the truth is that one day, the Lord who resides within will simply dump this body and go away. How long can you evade death? How long can you try to sustain this body? How long do you want to live with the help of life-support? What is the use of living on life-support when all organs have failed? As a result of this, all the remaining family members will be reduced to penury.

Intelligent persons will declare, “I do not seek to extend my life and live on life-support mechanisms. Give me treatment only as much as is necessary. I do not want my children to be reduced to paupers because of my medical treatment. Anyway one day or the other I have to leave this body and go away. So why waste money on useless issues”. Happily they focus on Lord Srihari. These are true devotees, Guru’s devotes. They are truly valourous.

No matter how hard you try, one day or the other the inner dweller will discard this body and go away. This is inevitable. Accept this reality.

“Although this manas is absolutely unconnected with the body and senses, it wrongly believes that it is connected.”

Wise persons therefore laugh happily even when they are suffering with intolerable pain. How strong is their buddhi (intellect)! Obeisance should be offered to such persons! They understand the trivialness of this body and have accepted that one day or the other they will leave it and go away. So they choose to spend their life cheerfully.

It is spiritual ignorance that makes it appear as if the mind is connected. Due to this false attribution (adhyāsa), the Self appears to be different from its original form. It appears as if it is connected to the objects of likes-dislikes when in reality it is the intellect (buddhi) that determines likes or dislikes.

Dualities such as sweet-bitter, health-disease, likes-dislikes do not exist in Him who perceives Everything equally. He is eternally filled with purity (sattva). Not understanding this, people wrongly accuse the Supreme Lord, “Why did you have to be cruel towards me? Why have you put me in troubles?” Can God put you in trouble? Your own past actions have resulted in today’s troubles. Are you a supreme devotee like Prahlada or Dhruva for Him to put you to test? Do you think He derives great pleasure in causing trouble to people? Day in and day out Lord Yama is accounting your sins. Remember that Yama does not take Paramatma with him. What travels with him is the intellect (buddhi) which is subtly connected to the manas. It will make the decision to take on another body. With that body its suffers all punishments in hell.

Whenever you declare, “my manas (mind) is spoilt. People have spoilt my manas”- you are wrongly accusing Paramatma. Understand that your intellect (buddhi) is spoilt. Intellect (buddhi) is your creation. Your buddhi reflects your destiny.

When this intellect (buddhi) travels with Yama and reaches hell it takes on another illusory body for experiencing the punishments.

Aniruddhaya namah