Thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 12: Verse 6

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to another episode of the Bearded Mystic Podcast and I'm your host Rahul N Singh.

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Today we will be continuing on with my thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita.

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And today we will be looking at chapter 12, verses 6 to verse 11.

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There's quite a number of verses to go through.

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,Let's look at verse 6 and 7 together.

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But those who surrender all their actions to Me, who adore Me, and are intent upon My association, dedicating everything to Me in undisturbed bhakti yoga, those who approach Me in this way, O Arjuna, I quickly deliver them from the ocean of samsara, repeated birth and death, or this world.

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Let's start with verse 6, and the first part is, but those who surrender all their actions to Me.

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This is a very important first line that we need to understand.

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What is bhakti yoga?

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What is it?

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The first thing is to surrender all actions to this Nirguna, to Brahman, to Sri Krishna.

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To the Ishta devta.

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So every action that we do, small or big, is surrendered to Brahman.

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Very simple.

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We don't seek to have any rewards from our actions, nor do we seek to have praise, nor do we care about criticism.

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We simply just do those actions as we intend to.

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And this is true renunciation.

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When you are able to renounce your actions, that is very important.

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You conduct the act through the body and mind and you let go.

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So we utilise the tools that we have and we use it for bhakti.

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We use it for devotion.

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So it's a very smart tool utilised by Sri Krishna.

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And this is true surrender.

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Not just giving up your personal intellect but offering all the actions to Brahman.

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You know, one of the things that people say is Well, how can I practice this at work?

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Well, this is what you can do.

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You can literally go throughout your day at work and you can surrender everything you do at the end of the day to Brahman and say, you know what, all my actions are in remembrance of you, are dedicated to you.

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Yeah.

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Then the second part of verse six, he says.

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Who adore me and are intent upon my association, dedicating everything to me in undisturbed bhakti yoga.

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So one thing is we adore our ishtdevta, who can be our guru, it can be Brahman itself, and this can be something we feel.

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So therefore we adore them, we love them, we have such strong affection towards them.

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But someone like me, I tend to really adore the formless, in a way, I've made a very subtle conception of the Formless and I'm comfortable with that.

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I know, what I'm doing, but not only do we just want association with the Formless, ultimately what we want union with the Formless.

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Our ishtdevta is the Formless, now we look to associate it, now we are determined to do so, remember his words are intent upon my association.

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We demand that we should be associated with this Brahman, with this Formless Awareness, and we dedicate everything, he says dedicating everything to Me.

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So what is this everything?

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Our thoughts, our senses, the projections of our senses, our dreams, our breath, our day to day activities in life, our actions towards others, our thoughts towards others, our action at work, our thoughts at work, our actions at school or college, our thoughts at school and college.

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Everything is dedicated to our ishtdevta, to the Formless.

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And all this is done in an undisturbed manner.

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Our bhakti cannot be disturbed, our devotion is not disturbed.

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We know the focus, we know where we are going.

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We know the end goal.

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For example, here for Arjuna, it would be Sri Krishna.

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For you, it may be Sri Krishna, it may be Sri Ram, it may be Shivji, it may be your guru.

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Or the Sikh Gurus, it can be anyone.

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But you do it in an undisturbed manner, that is the path of devotion, that is Bhakti Yoga.

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And remember, Bhakti Yoga means union in surrendering, union in devotion.

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So one thing I'd like to add here, is that Bhakti is not about losing your own identity.

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It's about performing everything, living life, but thinking of this Formless Awareness, thinking of this Brahman in the background.

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That's all it is.

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You think a thought, you dedicate it to Brahman.

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So what it is, is you have an idea, you have a thought, you have a feeling, you have an emotion, you do something at work.

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You're working on spreadsheets at work, you're working doing some analysis at work, you're selling things, whatever you may be doing.

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You're doing all that and in the background you have this Formless Awareness.

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With practice this happens.

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It's not simply that I'm saying this today and everyone will be able to practice this.

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No, it takes time but it can be done and we should not shy away from making it happen and in a way, this is also very similar, somewhat similar, somewhat even the same as the path of sannyas, of gyana.

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One runs off and just focuses on Brahman, while the other uses the material world with the material tools to only be in Brahman.

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This is the difference.

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One escapes, one integrates.

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That's the only difference.

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Then in verse 7.

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Sri Krishna says: Those who approach me in this way, O Arjuna, I quickly deliver them from the ocean of samsara, repeated birth and death.

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This is the approach that most of us are doing because we are householders.

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I'm a householder.

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That's the way I approach everything.

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So when I'm serving my wife, I'm not serving my wife, I'm serving Brahman.

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If I am serving my parents, I'm serving Brahman.

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If I'm serving my son, I'm serving Brahman.

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Whatever I do, I'm serving Brahman.

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This is the way to see it.

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When I say me, I'm on about all of us together.

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This is how we do it.

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And for us, this is the easiest method to do, if I'm honest with you.

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It's very easy.

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You dedicate every thought to Brahman, every action.

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You're at work, and you're doing some analysis.

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And you send an email, or you respond to a message on slack, or that you can surrender to Brahman.

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You can literally say, well everything I've just done, I'm giving up any association that it's been done by my body and mind.

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Now does that mean that you're not accountable?

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No, you still will be accountable.

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But remember people may perceive your body and mind to be accountable, but you will choose how to respond to this with your intellect on what the best, what you would be able to discern, what is the best action to do.

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Yeah, that's what someone can do.

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All you do is devote and dedicate all in the awareness of the Formless.

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Very simple.

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If we do this, then the promise is...

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That we will attain jivan-mukti.

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What does Sri Krishna says?

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I quickly deliver them from the ocean of samsara.

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He doesn't say I slowly will do this.

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People think that this path is slow.

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Slower than Gyana Yoga.

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In Gyana Yoga but I think this is much faster.

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Because, guess what you're doing 24x7?

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Thinking of Brahman.

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You're also doing the same thing.

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But you're doing it...

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Through ways where you start seeing the unity in everything, you start seeing the oneness, the shared Being as Existence.

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And that's why he says, I quickly deliver them from the ocean of samsara, samsara meaning repeated birth and death, when we reincarnate continuously, that's samsara.

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One he's saying, he'll quickly do it.

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The other is, that you'll be completely free.

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There's jivan-mukti.

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And that you will get out of this ocean of samsara, this repeated birth and death cycle, you'll be out of it.

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Otherwise, who knows how many more births it could take.

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Can you guarantee?

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It could take so many births.

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So Sri Krishna will make sure that if we are devoted to this Brahman, to Sri Krishna, in the true sense, in the true reality of who He is, He'll make sure that the results of such a practice is seen quickly.

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This is His promise.

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And you can quote him on it, yeah?

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You can say, look, you said this in chapter 12, verse 7.

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Remember, we will not re enter samsara either.

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It won't be that, like some people believe that they will go to heaven.

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No.

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This is a complete freedom from samsara.

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You know, when they say...

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That you transcend the Bhavsagar, the ocean of materialism, the ocean of the world.

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That's Bhavsagar.

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That's what happens.

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Then verse 8, and this is an important one because again, it's about utilizing every faculty.

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In verse 8 he says, Therefore, just focus your manas and buddhi upon Me in every way and under all circumstances, and you will dwell in me always and forever.

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There is no doubt about this bhakti yoga practice.

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Okay, now, let's break this verse up.

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He says therefore just focus your manas and buddhi upon Me in every way and under all circumstances and you will dwell in me always and forever.

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So focus the mind and so the mind meaning of thought and emotion and the intellect buddhi on Formless Awareness wherever possible and whenever possible.

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In every way and under all circumstances, no matter what it is, through pain, through suffering, through happiness, through joy, you focus your attention on Brahman.

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That's all.

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You discern everything to the point where there is only Brahman.

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Remember, intellect is when we are able to use our discernment properly, when we are able to utilise our viveka.

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Our intellect is what is able to decipher between the real and the Unreal and viveka, which is, the discernment to understand the two.

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So we can focus on it whenever.

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When we are at school, or at work, any moment spare, we focus on Brahman.

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When we are having a shower, taking a walk, contemplate upon Brahman.

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Under all circumstances, like I said, even the most difficult times, we focus on Brahman.

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At the moment you know someone is going to die, be with them and offer your presence as Brahman, as Formless Awareness.

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Devote all your attention to Formless Awareness, especially when somebody is dying.

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Or especially when someone has died too, when you're consoling the family, be with them.

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And there's no need to say, you know, embrace Brahman, no, you, all you need to do is offer your presence, be there, support them.

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When you're having a troubling day at work, be in Formless Awareness, when you're in complete stressful situations.

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Remember Brahman.

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If you're in complete anxiety, try to focus your mind on Brahman.

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Use your intellect, is what is being said here.

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Use your intellect to understand this Brahman.

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Understand how everything links back to that One.

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When you're making love to your beloved, be in the awareness of the Formless.

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It's very simple.

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Remember, this Formless Awareness, Sri Krishna is not judging your actions.

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No.

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He's saying, forget judging, just dedicate everything to Me.

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Instead of doing things individually, you're now doing something with a universal approach.

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There's a, there's a vaster vision in play.

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There's nobody judging you, it's your very own self, nobody else.

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So one's actions automatically get more refined as a result.

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This is what we ultimately want, right?

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More refined actions, more evolved actions, this is what Sri Krishna is promising.

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And one will respond to situations more effectively.

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You know, the way you deal with situations, people will come to you with their problems.

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They will say, I'm going through this, can you help me?

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I'm going through this issue, can you help me?

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Or, can I just speak to you?

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I just need to speak to somebody.

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And you'll be able to give them such a response, because you will think.

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You will focus your manas and buddhi on the Formless, on Sri Krishna.

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And if you think of Sri Krishna, your answer will be based on the Bhagavad Gita, on the Srimad Bhagavatam.

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If you focus on Shiv Ji, you will be focusing on, your answer will arise from the Ribhu Gita.

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So whatever you give, if you think of the, if you think of Brahman, your message will be from the Upanishads.

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I'm not saying one is better than the other.

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If you think of Sri Ram, your answer will come from the Yoga Vashisht.

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What I'm saying is, your thinking will be different, your approach will be different.

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And the biggest gift here, that Sri Krishna talks about, He says, you will dwell in me always and forever.

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That's the biggest gift you can ask for, is to be dwelling, to be living, to be abiding in Formless Awareness always, in Brahman always, at all times, forever, eternally.

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You will never be away from this Formless Awareness, you will never be away from Brahman, and you will be constantly dwelling in, for others will be just a normal place, but for you, every place is sacred.

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For everything is Brahman.

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These are again, I mentioned this in the last episode today as well, very nuanced.

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They're simple words but they have such deep meanings, focus your manas and buddhi upon Me, meaning upon Brahman, upon Sri Krishna, upon your ishtdevta, Manas is your emotions, your thoughts, focus them upon Brahman.

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Intellect, With your understanding of the Real, you focus everything upon Brahman.

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And then Sri Krishna says, and this is the line that he says, that there is no doubt about this bhakti yoga practice.

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This is why my feelings have changed towards bhakti yoga.

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Because now I feel it's very necessary.

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I've noticed people who are pure gyana, and they're still stuck.

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Something within them is not going forward.

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There is no doubt about bhakti.

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I have found that once I've imbibed more bhakti, it's a lot easier for me.

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This is my own thoughts.

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You know, like I mentioned, I made bhakti out of the Nirguna.

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You know, even though I know it's a thought, but I'm literally doing bhakti yoga towards this Nirguna.

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My guru helped me to get to that point, right?

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So, there is no questions, absolutely no questions, about the effectiveness of this practice.

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And it's simply something that we do, rather than just talk about.

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But, in fact, even if you have to talk, with your emotions, have a conversation with this Formless.

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With your ishtdevta.

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Do it! Bhakti yoga is this, not that I am devoted, but when your guru, when your ishtdevta, when Brahman says to you that you are my devotee, that, saying that you are the devotee of Sri Krishna, I don't believe anyone for a second, it doesn't matter, it means nothing, even if I say I'm a devotee of such and such guru, it means nothing, but, the moment my guru can say, you are my devotee, that's everything.

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That's bhakti.

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So bhakti is a lot more action than we think and a lot more thinking than we assume.

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Very contemplative.

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Focusing your intellect on Brahman, is it easy?

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Very easy for me to say, think about Brahman, but to actually do.

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People say, I'm too busy, I'm too stressed with life.

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How can I think of Brahman?

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Yet, when it comes to scrolling on social media, there's no problem.

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You have ample amount of time there.

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This is a subtle point.

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And like I said, every action is dedicated to Brahman.

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Every thought is centered and presented upon the screen of Formless Awareness.

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This is bhakti yoga practice.

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,But, Sri Krishna poses possibilities now, so in verse 9 he says, But if you cannot hold the steady focus of your chit faculty upon me, so if you cannot do verse 8, O Arjuna, then practice abhyasa yoga, one pointed concentration in order to attain Me.

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Now, let's break this verse up a little.

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If you can't do what Sri Krishna mentioned in verse 8, which was just focus your manas and buddhi upon Me in every way and under all circumstances, If you cannot do that, yeah, if you cannot hold steady in that, maybe you find circumstances too turbulent, yeah.

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Maybe you just cannot have...

00:23:41.539 --> 00:23:42.589
Steady focus.

00:23:43.049 --> 00:23:45.799
Sometimes you may meditate and then you get distracted.

00:23:46.660 --> 00:23:49.069
Maybe you're lazy and you don't want to practice.

00:23:49.869 --> 00:23:53.799
Maybe you can sit for five minutes then your brain thinks of something else.

00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:57.509
Or your senses start taking you in different directions.

00:23:57.690 --> 00:24:09.509
If you cannot hold steady focus of your awareness on your ishtdevta, on Sri Krishna, on Brahman, then what does Sri Krishna say?

00:24:10.220 --> 00:24:17.539
O Arjuna then practice Abhyasa Yoga, one pointed concentration, in order to attain Me.

00:24:18.865 --> 00:24:24.545
So one should focus their awareness faculty on this Formless Awareness, that would be very important to do.

00:24:24.894 --> 00:24:32.964
One needs to practice this diligently, whenever there is a free moment, one focuses on this Brahman only, on Sri Krishna or the ishtdevta.

00:24:34.375 --> 00:24:40.474
One has to practice diligently, I am emphasizing that again, one has to continuously practice this.

00:24:41.365 --> 00:24:45.045
One pointed concentration means a continual practice.

00:24:45.884 --> 00:25:01.845
We have to spend at least 15 minutes a day just on being in awareness of Formless Awareness, and it has to be one pointed concentration, meaning the attention isn't going to anything else.

00:25:02.184 --> 00:25:06.934
Now, someone may turn around to me and say, Rahul, that's all good.

00:25:07.305 --> 00:25:09.404
But you know what, I can't even do one minute.

00:25:10.595 --> 00:25:15.394
So then what my response would be is, then you need to practice abhyasa yoga.

00:25:15.634 --> 00:25:18.045
You need to practice one pointed concentration.

00:25:18.505 --> 00:25:19.424
What do you need to do?

00:25:20.204 --> 00:25:26.055
Okay, spend 30 seconds focusing on the ishtdevta, focusing on Brahman.

00:25:26.825 --> 00:25:28.164
Then increase it to 1 minute.

00:25:28.484 --> 00:25:29.414
Then 2 minutes.

00:25:29.464 --> 00:25:30.505
Then 4 minutes.

00:25:30.545 --> 00:25:31.555
Then 5 minutes.

00:25:32.204 --> 00:25:33.275
Then 7 minutes.

00:25:34.154 --> 00:25:36.595
Until you can get to at least 15.

00:25:39.134 --> 00:25:41.144
And if you do this, Sri Krishna says...

00:25:41.704 --> 00:25:45.758
You will also attain Brahman, you will also attain this ultimate truth.

00:25:46.958 --> 00:25:47.837
Very simple.

00:25:48.788 --> 00:25:52.432
If you can't do one, this is what you can alternatively do.

00:25:52.792 --> 00:25:54.593
But say if you can't even do this.

00:25:55.553 --> 00:25:56.613
It's possible, right?

00:25:57.093 --> 00:26:01.992
Not all of us are perfect, but Sri Krishna gives us another answer in verse 10.

00:26:02.553 --> 00:26:13.863
He says, or if you're unable to remain steady and in abhyas, then perform every action as karma yoga, as if you're working only for Me.

00:26:14.083 --> 00:26:16.673
In this way, you will also achieve perfection.

00:26:17.383 --> 00:26:18.813
He's giving us methods.

00:26:19.423 --> 00:26:21.262
Yeah, he's giving us methods.

00:26:22.222 --> 00:26:23.803
These are practices we can do.

00:26:25.083 --> 00:26:31.442
So, first of all he says, if you are unable to remain steady in abhyas, okay.

00:26:32.682 --> 00:26:34.553
Sri Krishna has the answer for everything.

00:26:34.553 --> 00:26:35.992
That's obviously established.

00:26:37.232 --> 00:26:39.682
He knows that we're still too lazy to practice.

00:26:41.143 --> 00:26:43.702
Yeah, the story has not changed.

00:26:44.563 --> 00:26:50.123
Now we have too many things distracting us, so we can say abhyas is too difficult, Sri Krishna.

00:26:50.442 --> 00:26:51.452
Come on, be real.

00:26:51.472 --> 00:26:56.093
Do you not know how much, uh, I have to look at my phone?

00:26:56.383 --> 00:27:09.853
Do you not know how much I need to do and look after my own home, and run the household, and go to work, and go to school, go to college, you know, I have homework, and you're asking me to do Abhyasa Yoga?

00:27:10.073 --> 00:27:11.472
Are you for real, Sri Krishna?

00:27:11.553 --> 00:27:12.843
Are you being for real here?

00:27:13.066 --> 00:27:20.546
You know, you're telling me to have single pointed focus, when my senses and my mind remains overly active.

00:27:22.395 --> 00:27:26.516
I'm, I'm completely captured by...

00:27:26.857 --> 00:27:27.667
rajas guna.

00:27:28.585 --> 00:27:30.994
So if I don't have time for abhyasa, what do I do?

00:27:31.694 --> 00:27:35.974
Sri Krishna says, okay, this is what you do.

00:27:36.365 --> 00:27:43.444
And he says, then perform every action as karma Yoga, as if you are working only for Me.

00:27:44.484 --> 00:27:47.384
In this way, you will also achieve perfection.

00:27:48.795 --> 00:27:49.984
So how do we do this?

00:27:50.789 --> 00:27:52.960
He says, perform every action that's karma Yoga.

00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:53.950
What's karma Yoga?

00:27:56.609 --> 00:28:03.140
You work, and then you surrender all the fruits of those actions.

00:28:05.299 --> 00:28:12.460
You do the work, and then you remember Formless Awareness, you remember Brahman, you remember Sri Krishna, you're ishtdevta.

00:28:12.789 --> 00:28:13.539
Very simple.

00:28:14.660 --> 00:28:18.130
So you perform every action in the remembrance of your ishtdevta.

00:28:20.750 --> 00:28:22.490
But, that's normal.

00:28:23.809 --> 00:28:30.150
He's just saying, commit to your actions, do your actions.

00:28:31.654 --> 00:28:42.253
Do every work, everything you do as a meditation, as an act of service, but he adds something which is unique.

00:28:43.318 --> 00:28:47.999
And that is, do this as if you're working only for Me.

00:28:48.618 --> 00:28:49.618
So what do you do here?

00:28:49.618 --> 00:28:53.818
You work as if you're doing it for your Ishta devta or for Brahman.

00:28:56.078 --> 00:29:01.989
What happens is you do the action and then you say, every action I do is for Brahman.

00:29:03.689 --> 00:29:05.979
The spreadsheet I'm completing is for Brahman.

00:29:06.578 --> 00:29:08.798
This podcast I'm recording is for Brahman.

00:29:09.489 --> 00:29:11.729
When I'm vacuuming the floor, that's for Brahman.

00:29:11.989 --> 00:29:13.669
Literally, you're working only for Brahman.

00:29:14.308 --> 00:29:23.818
That's your true employer, yeah, so you earn money, it's for Brahman, you get a degree, it's for Brahman, you eat a chocolate bar, it's for Brahman.

00:29:24.638 --> 00:29:29.778
This is another way to achieve that focus upon Brahman, to get to that perfection.

00:29:30.419 --> 00:29:33.357
The essence of the matter is that...

00:29:33.939 --> 00:29:39.409
one way or another, you're gonna get to single pointed focus on Brahman or your ishtdevta.

00:29:40.739 --> 00:29:41.919
Then, verse 11.

00:29:41.969 --> 00:29:46.348
If you now find that to be difficult, what does Sri Krishna say to you now?

00:29:46.892 --> 00:30:01.412
If it is beyond your ability to take refuge in Me as your yoga, then give up all attachment to karma phala, results of your actions, while keeping your senses under control and seeing yourself as the Atma.

00:30:02.692 --> 00:30:10.862
This is like the idiot's guide to enlightenment.

00:30:13.176 --> 00:30:19.777
You know, enlightenment for dummies, chapter 12, verse 11 of Bhagavad Gita should, it should start with this.

00:30:21.297 --> 00:30:28.047
So if you say, it's beyond your ability to take refuge in your ishtdevta as your yoga.

00:30:28.047 --> 00:30:36.733
So if someone finds that this is too challenging and they say, I cannot surrender all my actions to Brahman.

00:30:37.644 --> 00:30:38.683
I can't do this.

00:30:39.196 --> 00:30:41.656
Whatever you're telling me to do, I just simply cannot do.

00:30:42.035 --> 00:30:43.825
It's beyond my ability to do so.

00:30:44.474 --> 00:30:46.474
It's too difficult, too abstract still.

00:30:48.984 --> 00:30:49.835
What do I do?

00:30:51.224 --> 00:31:04.785
Then he says, then give up all attachment to karma phala, which is results of your actions, while keeping your senses under control and seeing yourself as the Atma.

00:31:05.694 --> 00:31:14.835
This literally is enlightenment for dummies, according to the Bhagavad Gita.

00:31:15.994 --> 00:31:33.462
One, you perform every action, say you, you work in a hospital, you work at a school, say you go to school, whatever you may be doing, whatever profession you have, say while you're doing the work you cannot think of Brahman, right?

00:31:33.553 --> 00:31:37.962
You cannot devote it all to Brahman, you cannot think of It in the background, fine.

00:31:41.567 --> 00:31:57.172
What you can do is you can perform the action as normal, don't need to remember Brahman, but all you need to do is let go of any intention of hankering for a particular result.

00:31:59.612 --> 00:32:03.751
Good or bad happens, you're not attached to the results of your actions.

00:32:04.172 --> 00:32:07.652
You're criticized or praised, it doesn't matter to you.

00:32:12.182 --> 00:32:16.336
Whatever the results are, you are not to be attached to it.

00:32:17.390 --> 00:32:23.059
You do not allow any of these actions to attach itself to the body and mind.

00:32:23.509 --> 00:32:27.400
You cannot say, I am the doer, I am the one that did this action.

00:32:27.849 --> 00:32:29.920
No, you have to let go of that idea.

00:32:31.630 --> 00:32:37.839
That's what Sri Krishna is saying, when give up all attachment to karma phala, you do not care about the results of your actions.

00:32:38.329 --> 00:32:44.960
For example, you go to work, you earn money, yeah?

00:32:45.769 --> 00:32:50.009
But you shouldn't be attached to the money that you earn, that's all.

00:32:55.859 --> 00:32:59.920
Then it says, while keeping your senses under control.

00:33:00.599 --> 00:33:03.450
So you do all this while keeping your senses under control.

00:33:03.470 --> 00:33:12.660
The one thing you can do is, if you see something that you desire, you can control it.

00:33:13.309 --> 00:33:14.750
You can calm yourself down.

00:33:15.664 --> 00:33:17.444
So you go back to that peacefulness.

00:33:18.605 --> 00:33:24.275
You just allow the senses to focus on necessary tasks, on necessary functions.

00:33:24.785 --> 00:33:35.744
If the ears hear something, it doesn't mean they have to go straight there and go towards where the mind is processing what the ears have said and go there.

00:33:35.944 --> 00:33:36.835
You don't have to go there.

00:33:38.585 --> 00:33:44.055
If you see something that you really want to eat, it doesn't mean you have to eat it.

00:33:44.224 --> 00:33:46.855
You gotta have control.

00:33:47.605 --> 00:33:50.525
So this is what he means, that you have your senses under control.

00:33:50.744 --> 00:33:57.214
Meaning you're very, very attentive to what's happening with your senses.

00:33:58.795 --> 00:34:02.845
Whatever it sees, whatever it hears, whatever it touches, whatever it tastes, whatever it smells.

00:34:03.174 --> 00:34:04.365
You're very attentive.

00:34:05.835 --> 00:34:11.534
And the moment you see that it creates a desire, It means that you've lost control of the senses.

00:34:16.204 --> 00:34:17.005
Now why?

00:34:18.644 --> 00:34:20.034
Why have I said all this?

00:34:22.684 --> 00:34:27.545
Because all of these things belong to the body and mind.

00:34:28.014 --> 00:34:36.644
And what does Sri Krishna say, which is the most important point in this part of the verse, seeing yourself as the Atma.

00:34:39.525 --> 00:34:41.344
You see yourself as the Atma.

00:34:43.855 --> 00:34:46.414
You see yourself as a Formless Awareness.

00:34:48.704 --> 00:34:50.574
Does the Atma have a body and mind?

00:34:50.574 --> 00:34:53.335
Does the Atma have senses?

00:34:53.505 --> 00:34:54.804
Does the Atma have a manas?

00:34:55.844 --> 00:34:57.704
Does it have a buddhi?

00:34:57.795 --> 00:34:59.695
does it act?

00:35:00.755 --> 00:35:01.085
No.

00:35:02.114 --> 00:35:05.525
The Atma is that witness consciousness that does not change.

00:35:07.114 --> 00:35:08.835
So what is Sri Krishna saying?

00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:14.139
You view yourself as the witness consciousness alone.

00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:17.269
You let go of name and form.

00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:23.500
You recognize within you that which does not change.

00:35:27.730 --> 00:35:29.309
Now let's go through this.

00:35:30.329 --> 00:35:34.550
If I say I am the Atma, is there ego?

00:35:35.650 --> 00:35:35.949
No.

00:35:38.230 --> 00:35:39.750
Is there I-ness?

00:35:39.860 --> 00:35:42.739
As in I am Rahul.

00:35:43.099 --> 00:35:43.599
I am.

00:35:44.264 --> 00:35:48.614
35 years old, I am living in the United States?

00:35:49.764 --> 00:35:50.255
No.

00:35:52.875 --> 00:35:54.394
I'm a HR professional?

00:35:55.344 --> 00:35:55.735
No.

00:35:58.447 --> 00:36:00.387
I am working for such and such company?

00:36:00.898 --> 00:36:01.188
No.

00:36:02.347 --> 00:36:03.708
I have my own business?

00:36:04.418 --> 00:36:04.637
No.

00:36:09.117 --> 00:36:14.648
Does the Atma have any senses?

00:36:15.007 --> 00:36:21.777
Like the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin?

00:36:22.858 --> 00:36:23.057
No.

00:36:25.898 --> 00:36:32.597
Once you see yourself as the Atma, it's very easy to have your senses under control.

00:36:34.057 --> 00:36:35.297
Because you know it's not you.

00:36:36.467 --> 00:36:37.338
It's much easier.

00:36:38.967 --> 00:36:43.588
The moment you think you are the body and mind, that's when senses become haywire.

00:36:43.898 --> 00:36:45.358
They know it's party time.

00:36:46.858 --> 00:36:47.177
Literally.

00:36:49.992 --> 00:36:59.842
And if you see yourself as the Atma, as the witness consciousness, then the actions you do are simply images on the screen.

00:37:01.833 --> 00:37:03.733
Therefore, what results are you hankering?

00:37:05.543 --> 00:37:07.983
Does the Atma hanker for certain results?

00:37:08.023 --> 00:37:08.472
No.

00:37:09.012 --> 00:37:11.802
The Atma is already perfect and complete.

00:37:16.572 --> 00:37:26.302
So, in the end, every form of practice begins and ends with Brahman, with everything focused upon that One.

00:37:26.802 --> 00:37:38.893
Whether you call it the Atma or whether you say it's dedicated upon Me, the ishtdevta It's all about dedicating everything to Brahman.

00:37:39.543 --> 00:37:46.402
So pick which verse applies to you the most and practice.

00:37:47.862 --> 00:38:01.523
Live it out, see how it is The more you can, in the day, just be in awareness of Formless Awareness, life becomes incredibly beautiful.

00:38:02.452 --> 00:38:10.523
You'll see how, without intending, how positive the results are.

00:38:12.612 --> 00:38:14.143
And that is the aim.

00:38:15.532 --> 00:38:18.880
So that is the end of today's episode.

00:38:19.597 --> 00:38:28.476
If you liked what you heard and liked what you watched, please do share this podcast with your friends and family who may enjoy this content.

00:38:28.836 --> 00:38:31.777
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00:38:32.077 --> 00:38:40.686
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00:38:41.106 --> 00:38:47.496
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00:38:48.202 --> 00:38:52.478
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00:38:52.778 --> 00:38:55.568
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00:38:55.898 --> 00:39:04.059
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00:39:04.389 --> 00:39:07.358
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00:39:07.719 --> 00:39:11.728
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00:39:12.548 --> 00:39:16.523
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00:39:17.034 --> 00:39:19.373
Thank you very much for listening to this episode.

00:39:19.733 --> 00:39:23.693
Let's end with the Shanti mantra and the Soham mantra.

00:39:24.773 --> 00:39:26.713
Soham Soham.

00:39:27.503 --> 00:39:28.373

Thoughts on the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 12: Verse 6 - Verse 11)

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