Brahma Cakra

Brahma Cakra 9 December 1964, Salem

Now, the subject of our discourse will be “Brahma Cakra”.

Everywhere in this observable universe we find that there is a system. The mighty Himalayas follow a particular system. The wee bit of material expression also follows a particular system. Everywhere there is a system, there is an order. Nothing can be done in a disordered way.

The smallest article that can be seen by the human intellect, if not by human eyes, is the atom. And in the atom also there is a particular system, the atomic system, and the centre, that is, the nucleus, has electrons moving round that nucleus. This is the atomic system. These systems are called cakras in Sanskrit. So for this atomic system the Sanskrit name should be páramáńavik cakra.

The same system is followed by the earth also. Here in this ethereal system we see that in the middle is the earth, and the moon is moving around that nucleus. It is the same system. This one may be called párthiva cakra. That one páramáńavik cakra, this one párthiva cakra.

Now the next bigger cakra or bigger system is the solar system, and that is: the sun is the nucleus, and so many planets are moving round that sun. The same system.

And the biggest cakra, the biggest system, is Brahma Cakra, the Cosmological system. In that Cosmological system, the nucleus is Puruśottama. The hub of that Cosmic [[wheel]] is Puruśottama, and so many jiivas [unit beings] are moving around that Puruśottama. The same system. So this Cosmological system, or this Cosmological order, is called Brahma Cakra in Sanskrit.

Now in this cakra or in these cakras two forces are working: one is the eccentric force and the other is the concentric force. For this eccentric force, or centrifugal force, the Sanskrit term is Avidyámáyá or avidyá shakti; and the concentric force, or centripetal force, is called Vidyámáyá or vidyá shakti in Sanskrit. Both are Máyá. Both concentric and eccentric, vidyá and avidyá, are expressions of the same Máyá, the same Creative Principle. And that Nucleus is the lord of that Creative Principle, is the svámii of that Creative Principle.

Now this avidyá shakti, or Avidyámáyá, centrifugal force, has got a two-fold expression, two different expressions. One is called vikśepa shakti and the other is called ávarańii shakti. Avidyámáyá has got two expressions. And jiivas are moving around this Nucleus Puruśottama with the help of these two forces (“two forces” means Vidyámáyá and Avidyámáyá), and when a balance is there, a balance between Vidyámáyá and Avidyámáyá, the radius of that jiiva’s circle, the circle of that particular jiiva, will neither increase nor decrease.

Now, the first portion of avidyá shakti is called vikśepa shakti in Sanskrit. Vikśepa means a repulsive force, the force repelling the jiiva from its Nucleus. That is, a jiiva is darted away, is drifted away, from its Nucleus by(1) propensities, by depraving ideas, by depraving propensities. So these depraving ideas or depraving propensities are what is called vikśepa shakti. Clear? The jiiva is darted away from Puruśottama by mundane propensities.

And the second expression of avidyá shakti is ávarańii shakti. In Sanskrit ávarańa means “to cover”. This shakti [force] is just like a black curtain in between Paramátmá and jiiva. And because of that ávarańii shakti, that dark curtain of ávarańii shakti, that sombre curtain of ávarańii shakti, jiivas cannot see the Lord. Jiivas think that “Whatever we are doing, nobody sees, nobody can see” – “I am doing everything secretly, nobody will see me.” The condition of a jiiva committing pápa [sin] secretly is just like that of a rabbit when followed by a hunter. It is said that when a rabbit, a hare, is followed by a hunter, it shuts its eyes with the help of its ears. And it thinks that “As I am not seeing the hunter, the hunter is also not seeing me.” And such is the condition of the jiiva under the influence of this ávarańii shakti. Due to vikśepa shakti it moves away from its Lord, and due to ávarańii shakti it cannot see its Lord.

That misguided and misdirected jiiva does not know that it is under the influence of ávarańii shakti. But the vision of his Lord remains unassailed by the cimmerian wonts of that ávarańii shakti. His vision can pierce through that black curtain. The jiiva committing misdeeds, committing sins, secretly, thinks that its action will remain covered forever.

These are the two expressions of avidyá shakti: vikśepa shakti and ávarańii shakti.

Now regarding the vidyá shakti, the concentric force, the centripetal force, the force moving towards the hub of the wave: A man following the path of vidyá shakti naturally will be decreasing the length of his radius, the radius of this Brahma Cakra. The radius will go on decreasing in length. But this vidyá shakti has also got two influences on the minds of individuals, on microcosms.

Of these two expressions, the first one is called samvit shakti. Samvit means spiritual consciousness, spiritual awakening. A man engaged in bad things all of a sudden feels that “No, I shouldn’t do all these things. No, I should be a good man henceforward.” Such an idea all of a sudden comes in his mind. And this thing, this change of mental tendency, is brought about by samvit shakti of Vidyámáyá. Do you follow? This is what is called samvit shakti. “No, henceforward I must be a good man. No, henceforward I must be a spiritualist. I must not encourage any depraving idea.” Samvit shakti.

And the second expression of Vidyámáyá is hládinii shakti. After a man decides that “Henceforward I will be a good man, henceforward I will be a sádhaka [spiritual practitioner],” he gets the krpá of that Almighty Lord. (Regarding krpá I will say something afterwards.) And after getting His krpá through some medium he gets initiation. After being initiated he is to move along that spiritual path. That movement along the spiritual path is brought about by hládinii shakti.

This hládinii shakti is also known as Rádhiká shakti in Sanskrit. “Rádhá” means spiritual aspirant, “one who is engaged in árádhaná”. One who is engaged in árádhaná is called “Rádhá” in Vaeśńava [Vaishnavite] philosophy. And Puruśottama is called Krśńa. Rádhá moving towards Krśńa. So that hládinii shakti is called Rádhiká shakti. Clear?

Now in a particular shloka [couplet] it has been said:

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante tasmin haḿso bhrámyate Brahmacakre; Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá juśt́astataste-námrtatvameti.

[All unit entities, all unit structures, revolve around the Nucleus Consciousness in the Cosmic Cycle of creation. This rotation of theirs will continue as long as they think that they are separate from their Creator. When they become one with the Nucleus, they will attain immortality.]

Ájiiva. Ájiiva means “occupation”. Here ájiiva means “mental occupation”, “mental objectivity”, “mental pabulum”. Now in this Brahma Cakra, around this Nucleus Puruśottama or Krśńa, all the jiivas are moving; they are hovering around that Puruśottama along with their peculiar physical frames and their peculiar mental objectivities, along with their peculiar mental longings – they are hovering around that Puruśottama. Each and every creature is moving like this. Their radii are neither increasing nor diminishing. If a man encourages Vidyámáyá the radius will be diminished; if a man encourages Avidyámáyá it will be enlarged, it will be increased.

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe – “With different structures and with different mental longings”, so many creatures are hovering around that Puruśottama.

Tasmin haḿso bhrámyate Brahmacakre. Haḿso means jiiva. And Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá [“This rotation of theirs will continue as long as they think that they are separate from their Creator”]. Why do they hover round that Puruśottama? Because in their minds there is a sense of separateness, sense of separation, from their Cosmic Lord. They think that they are separate entities from Puruśottama. They do not feel their unison with Puruśottama, that’s why they hover round that Nucleus. And when they come to think that they are not separate entities from that Hub of the wheel,(2) all of a sudden that radius will cease to exist, and with the help of Vidyámáyá the merger will take place. And that merger is the unison of Rádhá and Krśńa. Do you follow?

So, Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraiṋca matvá – “They feel that they are separate entities from that Hub, and that’s why they are hovering round.”

Juśt́astatastenámrtatvameti [“When they become one with the Nucleus, they will attain immortality”]. Just now I said that by His krpá, that samvit shakti(3) is awakened. Now, what is krpá? Here the rśi [sage who composed the shloka] says that “being benefited by Him, he becomes one with his Nucleus” – the merger takes place, and he attains immortality.

Mortality and immortality. This movement round that Nucleus takes place within the three fundamental factors of relativity. And those three fundamental factors are the spatial factor, the temporal factor and the personal factor. There are three fundamental factors in the sway of relativity, in the realm of relativity. And these three fundamental factors are time, space and person. Temporal bondage, spatial bondage and personal bondage. Jiivas move through the realm of these three factors. And this movement naturally brings about certain changes in their body and mind; and this change, this transmutation, this metamorphosis, is called death, is called márańa. What is márańa, what is death? Death means change. Death is nothing but change. From childhood, boyhood came – childhood died; from boyhood, adolescence came – boyhood died… So death means change. Death is nothing but change. When an old man dies and a babe is born, it is also a change. But where the link between the preceding stage and the succeeding stage is missing, we say it is physical death. Because in that case, that is, when an old man dies and a new babe takes a place and sits in a mother’s womb, we cannot find the link. And that’s why we say, “That old man has died.” This is also an ordinary change. Do you follow?

But where there is no movement, we say those items moving round that Nucleus are passing through the realm of time, space and person; but the Nucleus doesn’t pass through time, space and person. It is above the realm of time, space and person. It controls time, space and person. And that’s why it undergoes no metamorphosis, it undergoes no transmutation. That’s why it is beyond the pale of life and death. It is beyond the periphery of life and death. It is beyond the compass of woes and agonies. And that’s why when one is ensconced in that supreme centre, one establishes oneself beyond life and death. One is established in amrtatva, one is established in immortality.

Now, in the shloka it has been said, “Being benefited by You”. That is, “After getting His krpá.” What is krpá?

God cannot have any partiality in Him. He has got equal love for each and every creature of this universe, for all animate and inanimate objects. His krpá and His compassion is being equally showered upon each and every individual, upon each and every object. He bestows His compassion equally on each and every object. Equally on pápiis [sinners] and puńyavánas [the virtuous]. But common people do not feel it, they do not feel that they are getting His krpá. Why do they not feel it? That krpá, that water of compassion, is being showered on each and every creature equally, but ordinary people do not feel that they are being drenched by those sacred waters. Why? Because they are holding the umbrella of vanity over their heads, that’s why they are not being drenched. And what is sádhaná? You will have to remove that umbrella from above your head and get yourself drenched by the sacred water. You will have to remove that umbrella of vanity, you will have to remove that umbrella of hatred, you will have to remove that umbrella of shyness and get yourself drenched by that water; and then you will feel that you are being graced by Him. This is what is called krpá. Krpá is there, but you will have to come to feel it by your sádhaná. And when you will remove that umbrella, you will get proper direction, and then you will be guided by hládinii shakti, by Rádhiká shakti. Here you will come in contact with His núpura dhvani [sound of ankle bells], you will come in contact with the enchanting flute of Krśńa.

What is that flute? The oṋḿkára. In the first phase, the sádhaka comes in contact with a hissing sound, just like the sound produced by that insect known as cricket in English. Yes. And in the second stage it is called núpura dhvani – a jhum jhum jhum jhum jhum jhum jhum jhum sound – like this. It is called Krśńasya núpura dhvani. In the third stage it is just like the sound of a flute, and it is called Krśńasya bánsharii dhvani, muralii dhvani. You will hear these sounds both internally and externally. In the course of your sádhaná you will come in contact with these sounds.

So Rádhá, that is, the sádhaka, became mad when she came in contact with that soothing sound of Krśńa’s flute. She became mad. And that madness, that spiritual madness, is begotten of what? Hládinii shakti. And by that shakti, Rádhá and Krśńa became united. Rádhá came in unison with that Cosmic Puruśottama – with that Puruśottama who is the hub of this Brahma Cakra.

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