Kali Mandir Satsang

"Bhakti Conquers God": Brahma's prayers to Sri Krishna (part 2) by Swami Bhajanananda

Class by Rev Dr. Mahant Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Book X of Srimad Bhagavatam given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 14 June 2025. 
Brahma said:
ज्ञाने प्रयासम् उदपास्य नमन्त एव जीवन्ति सन्मुखरितां भवदीयवार्ताम् |स्थाने स्थिताह्̣ श्रुतिगतां तनुवाङ्मनोभिर्ये प्रायशोऽजित जितोऽप्य् असि तैस् त्रिलोक्याम् || ३ ||jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta evajjīvanti sanmukharitāṃ bhavadīyavārtām |sthāne sthitāḥ śrutigatāṃ tanuvāṅmanobhirye prāyaśo'jita jito'py asi tais trilokyām || 3 ||3. "Those who give up the path of knowledge (jñāne prayāsam udapāsya) and simple bow to You (namantaḥ eva), spending their lives hearing about You from the lips of saints (jīvanti sat-mukharitām bhavadīya-vārtām), in whatever condition they are (sthāne sthitāḥ), meditate on what they heard with their body, speech, and mind (śruti-gatām tanu vāk manobhiḥ ye prāyaśaḥ)-- Oh Unconquerable One (ajita), You are conquered by them in the three worlds (jitaḥ api asi taiḥ  tri-lokyām).
श्रेयह्̣स्र्̣तिं भक्तिम् उदस्य ते विभोक्लिश्यन्ति ये केवलबोधलब्धये |तेस्̣आम् असौ क्लेशल एव शिस्̣यतेनान्यद् यथा स्थूलतुस्̣आवघातिनाम् || ४ ||śreyaḥ-sṛtiṃ bhaktim udasya te vibhokliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye |teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyatenānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām || 4 ||4. "There are some who reject the auspicious path of bhakti (śreyaḥ sṛtim bhaktim udasya). They struggle to know You, Oh Lord, with their minds alone (te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala bodha). The only thing they achieve is that struggle (labdhaye teṣām asau kleśalaḥ eva) and nothing more (na anyat). It is just like beating empty husks (yathā sthūla-tuṣa avaghātinām)."
पुरेह भूमन् बहवोऽपि योगिनस्त्वदर्पितेहा निजकर्मलब्धया |विबुध्य भक्त्यैव कथोपनीतयाप्रपेदिरेऽञ्जोऽच्युत ते गतिम्́ पराम् || ५ ||pureha bhūman bahavo'pi yoginastvad-arpitehā nija-karma-labdhayā |vibudhya bhaktyaiva kathopanītayāprapedire'ñjo'cyuta te gatiḿ parām || 5 ||5. "In the past, O Infinite One (purā iha bhūman), many yogis (bahavaḥ api yoginaḥ) offered whatever they did to You (tvat arpita īhāḥ nija-karma), and through bhakti cultivated by hearing about You (labdhayā vibudhya bhaktyā eva kathā-upanītayā), easily surrendered to You, Oh Infalliable One (prapedire añjaḥ acyuta) and attained You, the supreme goal (te gatim parām)."
 
 

Devi Gita (Class 42): "Generating the Five Elements" by Swami Bhajanananda

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 27-34, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 18 June 2025.
The Goddess said:
तस्मादाकाश उत्पन्नः शब्दतन्मात्ररूपकः |भवेत् स्पर्शात्मको वायुस्तेजोरूपात्मकं पुनः || २७ ||tasmādākāśa utpannaḥ śabda-tanmātra-rūpakaḥ |bhavet sparśātmako vāyus-tejo-rūpātmakaṃ punaḥ || 27 ||27. "Out of that primal substance arose ether,  endowed with the subtle quality of sound. Then arose air, characterized by the quality of touch, followed by fire, characterized by visible form."
जलं रसात्मकं पशात् ततो गन्धात्मिका धरा |शब्दैकगुण आकासो वायुः स्पर्शरवानितः || २८ ||jalaṃ rasātmakaṃ paśāt tato gandhātmikā dharā |śabdaika-guṇa ākāso vāyuḥ sparśa-ravānitaḥ || 28 ||28. "Next arose water, characterized by taste; then earth, characterized by smell. Ether has the single quality of sound; air is endowed with touch and sound."
शब्दस्पर्शरूपगुणं तेज ईत्युच्यते बुधैः |शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसैरापो वेदगुणाः स्मृताः || २९ ||śabda-sparśa-rūpa-guṇaṃ teja ītyucyate budhaiḥ |śabda-sparśa-rūpa-rasairāpo veda-guṇāḥ smṛtāḥ || 29 ||29. "Fire has the qualities of sound, touch, and visible form, according to the wise; water has the four qualities of sound, touch, visible form, and taste, so they say."
शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसगन्धैः पञ्चगुणा धरा |तेभ्योऽभवन् महत्सूत्रं यल्लिण्गं परिचक्षते || ३० ||śabda-sparśa-rūpa-rasa-gandhaiḥ pañca-guṇā dharā |tebhyo'bhavan mahat-sūtraṃ yal-liṇgaṃ paricakṣate || 30 ||30. "Earth has the five qualities of sound, touch, visible form, taste, and smell. From those subtle elements came into being the great cosmic thread which is called the Subtle Body."
सर्वात्मकं तत्सम्प्रोक्तं सूक्ष्मदेहोऽयमात्मनः |अव्यत्क्तं कारणो देहः स चोक्तः पूर्वमेव हि || ३१ ||sarvātmakaṃ tat-samproktaṃ sūkṣma-deho’yamātmanaḥ |avyatktaṃ kāraṇo dehaḥ sa coktaḥ pūrvameva hi || 31 ||31. "It is proclaimed as all-pervading; this is the Subtle Body of the Self.The Unmanifest is the Causal Body, which I mentioned earlier."
यस्मिन् जगद्बीजरूपं स्थितं लिङ्गोद्भवो यथः |ततः स्थूलानि भूतानिपञ्चिकरणमागतः || ३२ ||yasmin jagad-bīja-rūpaṃ sthitaṃ liṅgodbhavo yathaḥ |tataḥ sthūlāni bhūtāni-pañcikaraṇa-māgataḥ || 32 ||32. "In that lies the world seed, from which evolves the Subtle Body. From that, by the process of fivefold generation, the gross elements,"
पञ्चसङ्ख्यानि जायन्ते तत्प्रकारस्त्वथोच्यते |पूर्वोक्तानि च भूतानि प्रत्यकं विभजेद् द्विधा || ३३ ||pañca-saṅkhyāni jāyante tat-prakāra-stvathocyate |pūrvoktāni ca bhūtāni pratyakaṃ vibhajed dvidhā || 33 ||33. "Five in number, arise. I shall now describe this process. Each of those elements previously mentioned shall be divided in half."
एकैकं भागमेकस्य चतुर्धा विभजेद् गिरे |स्वस्वतरद्वितीयांशे योजनात् पञ्च ते || ३४ ||ekaikaṃ bhāgamekasya caturdhā vibhajed gire |svasvataradvitīyāṃśe yojanāt pañca te || 34 ||34. "One half-part of each element shall be divided into four, O Mountain. By joining the undivided half of each element with one of the quartered fractions from each of the other four, each element becomes five-fold."
तत्कार्यं च विराड्देहः स्थूलदेहोऽयमात्मनः | tat-kāryaṃ ca virāḍ-dehaḥ sthūla-deho’yamātmanaḥ |34. "And they produce the Cosmic Body, or Gross Body, of the Self."

Brahma Realizes Who Krishna Is": Brahma's prayers to Sri Krishna (part 1) by Swami Bhajanananda

Class by Rev Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Book X, Chapter 14 of Srimad Bhagavatam, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 7 June 2025. 
श्रीब्रह्मोवाचनौमीद्̣य तेऽभ्रवपुस्̣ए तद्̣इदम्बराय गुञ्जावतम्́सपरिपिच्छलसन्मुखायवन्यस्रजे कवलवेत्रविस्̣आन्̣अवेन्̣उलक्स्̣मश्रिये म्र्̣दुपदे पशुपाńगजाय
śrī-brahmovāca1. naumīḍya te 'bhra-vapuṣe taḍid-ambarāyaguñjāvataḿsa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhāyavanya-sraje kavala-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇu-lakṣma-śriye mṛdu-pade paśu-pāńgajāya
Sri Brahma said:"I worship You, the primordial Lord (naumi īḍya te), whose body is like a dark cloud (abhra vapuṣe); whose garment is like lightning (taḍit ambarāya); wearing a garland of guñjā berries (guñjā avataḿsa) and peacock feather (paripiccha); whose face shines (lasat mukhāya); a garlands of forest flowers (vanya-sraje); holding a morsel of food, stick, buffalo horn, and flute (kavala vetra viṣāṇa veṇu lakṣma), and whose beautiful feet are soft (śriye mṛdu pade), the son of a  cow herder (paśu-pa ańga-jāya)."
अस्यापि देव वपुस्̣ओ मदनुग्रहस्य स्वेच्छामयस्य न तु भूत-मयस्य कोऽपिनेशे महि त्व् अवसितुम्ऽमनसान्तरेन्̣अ साक्स्̣आत् तवैव किम् उतात्मसुखानुभूतेह्̣asyāpi deva vapuṣo mad-anugrahasyasvecchā-mayasya na tu bhūta-mayasya ko 'pineśe mahi tv avasituḿ manasāntareṇasākṣāt tavaiva kim utātma-sukhānubhūteḥ
2. "Lord, Your body (asya api deva vapuṣaḥ), which is the instrument of grace to me (mat-anugrahasya), appears by Your will (sva-icchā-mayasya), and not by the power of the material elements (na tu bhūta-mayasya). Even with my mind withdrawn in meditation (manasā antareṇa sākṣāt) I cannot grasp its glory (kaḥ api na īśe mahi tu avasitum).  What to speak then of understanding Your blissful Self (ava eva kim uta ātma sukha anubhūteḥ)."
 

Devi Gita (Class 41): "The Cause of Causes" by Swami Bhajanananda

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 22-26, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 28 May 2025.
स पुनः कामकर्मादियुक्तया स्रीयमायया |
पूर्वानुभूतसंस्कारात् कालकर्मविपाकतः || २२ ||
sa punaḥ kāma-karmādi-yuktayā srīyamāyayā |
pūrvānubhūta-saṃskārāt kāla-karma-vipākataḥ || 22 ||
22. "This Self, however, by its own power of Maya conjoined with desires, actions, and the like, through the influence of prior experience ripening in time in accord with the law of karma, ..."
 
अविवेकाच्च तत्त्वस्य सिसृक्षावान् प्रजायते |
अबुद्धिपूर्वः सर्गोऽयं कथितस्ते नगाधिप || २३ ||
avivekāc-ca tattvasya sisṛkṣāvān prajāyate |
abuddhi-pūrvaḥ sargo'yaṃ kathitaste nagādhipa || 23 ||
23. "And by confounding the primal elements, being desirous to create, begins to bring forth. The resulting creation, devoid of intelligence, will be further described to you, O Mountain King."
 
एतद्धि यन्मया प्रोक्तं मम रूपमलौकिकम् |
अव्याकृतं तदव्यक्तं मायाशबलमित्यपि || २४ ||
etaddhi yanmayā proktaṃ mama rūpa-malaukikam |
avyākṛtaṃ tadavyaktaṃ māyāśabalamityapi || 24 ||
24. "This extraordinary form of mine which I have mentioned is unevolved and unmanifest, yet becomes segmented through the power of Maya."
 
प्रोच्यते सवशास्त्रेषु सर्वकारणकारणम् |
तत्त्वानामादिस्भूतं च सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहम् || २५ ||
procyate sava-śāstreṣu sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam |
tattvā-nāmādis-bhūtaṃ ca sac-cid-ānanda-vigraham || 25 ||
25. "All the religious treatises declare it to be the cause of all causes, The primal substance behind the elements, and as having the form of being, consciousness, bliss."
 
सर्वकर्मघनीभूतमिच्छाज्ञानक्रियाश्रयम् |
ह्रीङ्कारमन्त्रवाचयं तदादितत्त्वं तदुच्यते || २६ ||
sarva-karma-ghanī-bhūtam-icchā-jñāna-kriyā-śrayam |
hrīṇ-kāra-mantra-vācayaṃ tadādi-tattvaṃ taducyate || 26 ||
26. "It is the condensation of all karma; it is the seat of will, knowledge, and action; it is expressed in the mantra Hrim; it is the primal principle—so it is said."

"Reintroducing the Bhagavatam" Satsang with Swami Bhajanananda

Class by Rev Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Book X of Srimad Bhagavatam introducing the story of Brahma stealing the cows and cowherd boya given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 19 May 2025.

Devi Gita (Class 40): "Self is Consciousness & Bliss" by Swami Bhajanananda

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 19-21, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 16 April 2025.
 
अपरिच्छन्नताऽप्येवमत एव मता मम |
तच्चज्ञानं नात्मधर्मो धर्मत्वे जडताऽत्मनः || १९ ||
aparicchannatā'pyevamata eva matā mama |
taccajñānaṃ nātma-dharmo dharmatve jaḍatā'tmanaḥ || 19 ||
19. "Therefore I am regarded truly as an undivided whole, and that consciousness is not an attribute of the Self, for then the Self would be like an object."
 
ज्ञानस्य जडशेषत्वं म दृष्टं न च सम्भवै |
चिद्धर्मत्वं तथा नास्ति चितश्चिन्न हि विद्यते || २० ||
jñānasya jaḍaśeṣatvaṃ ma dṛṣṭaṃ na ca sambhavai |
cid-dharma-tvaṃ tathā nāsti citaścinna hi vidyate || 20 ||
20. "In consciousness no possible trace of the object state can be found. And so consciousness also has no attributes: consciousness is not a quality separable from consciousness itself."
 
तस्मादात्मज्ञानरूपः सुखरूपश्च सर्वदा |
सत्यः पूर्णोऽप्यसङ्गश्च द्वैतज्जालविवर्जितः || २१ ||
tasmād-ātma-jñāna-rūpaḥ sukha-rūpaśca sarvadā |
satyaḥ pūrṇo'pyasaṅgaśca dvaitajjālavivarjitaḥ || 21 ||
21. "Therefore the Self in essence is consciousness, and bliss as well, always, it is the real and complete, beyond all relation, and free from the illusion of duality."

Devi Gita (Class 39): "Love for the Self" by Swami Bhajanananda

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verse18, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 9 April 2025.
मा न भूवं हि भूयासमिति प्रेमात्मनि स्थितम् |सर्वस्याऽन्यस्य मिथ्यात्वादसङ्गत्वं स्फुटं मम || १८ ||mā na bhūvaṃ hi bhūyāsamiti premātmani sthitam |sarvasyā'nyasya mithyātvādasaṅgatvaṃ sphuṭaṃ mama || 18 ||18. "The feeling "Let me not cease to be; let me exist forever," is rooted in love for the Self. Certainly there is no actual relations between me and all else, since all else is false."

Devi Gita (Class 38): "Consciousness is Eternal" by Swami Bhajanananda

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 15 through 17 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 2 April 2025.
जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्त्यादौ दृश्यस्य व्यभिचारतः |संविदो व्यभिचारश्च नाऽनुभूतोऽस्ति कर्हिछित् || १५ ||jāgrat-svapna-suṣuptyādau dṛśyasya vyabhicārataḥ |saṃvido vyabhicāraśca nā'nubhūto'sti karhichit || 15 ||15. "The visible world appears and disappears constantly in the various states of waking, dream, and deep sleep."
यदि तस्याऽप्यनुभवस्तर्ह्ययं येन साक्शिणा |अनुभूतः स एवाऽत्र शिष्टः संविद्वपुः पुरा || १६ ||yadi tasyā'pyanubhavastarhyayaṃ yena sākśiṇā |anubhūtaḥ sa evā'tra śiṣṭaḥ saṃvidvapuḥ purā || 16 ||16. "Even if this consciousness itself became an object of perception, then the witness of that perception would abide as the real pure consciousness, as before."
अत एव नित्यत्वं प्रोक्तं सछास्त्रकोविदैः |आनन्दरूपता चऽस्याः परप्रेमास्पदत्वतह् || १७ ||ata eva nitya-tvaṃ proktaṃ sachāstra-kovidaiḥ |ānanda-rūpatā ca'syāḥ para-premāspadatvatah || 17 ||17. "And so those versed in religious treaties regarding the real declare consciousness to be eternal. Its nature is bliss, for it is the object of supreme love."

Kālī Sahasranāma (talk 52): "She Who is Music" etc. by Swami Bhajanananda

Discourse by Revered Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 340 through 344 of verses 42 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 29 March 2025.
ऋक्सामाथर्वनिलया रागिणी शोभनस्वरा |कलकण्ठी कम्बुकण्ठी वेणुवीणापरायणा || ४२ ||ṛk-sāmātharva-nilayā rāgiṇī śobhana-svarā |kala-kaṇṭhī kambu-kaṇṭhī veṇu-vīṇā-parāyaṇā || 42 ||
340. रागिणी rāgiṇī341. शोभनस्वरा śobhana-svarā 342. कलकण्ठी kala-kaṇṭhī343. कम्बुकण्ठी kambu-kaṇṭhī344. वेणुवीणापरायणा veṇu-vīṇā-parāyaṇā

Devi Gita (Class 37): "The Seer and the Seen" by Swami Bhajanananda

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 9 & 10 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 26 March 2025.
एवं नानाविधानि स्युर्नामानि निगमादिषु |तस्या जडत्वं दृश्यत्वाज्ज्ञाननाशात् ततोऽसती ||११||evaṃ nānāvidhāni syurnāmāni nigamādiṣu |tasyā jaḍa-tvaṃ dṛśya-tvāj-jñāna-nāśāt tato'satī ||11||11. Such are its various names found in the Vedic and other sacred texts. Since Māya is something we can perceive, it has the nature of non-conscious matter; since knowledge destroys it, it is not truly existent. 
चैतन्यस्य न दृश्यत्वं दृश्यत्वे जडमेव तत् |स्वप्रकाशं च चैतन्यं न परेण प्रकाशितम् || १२ ||caitanyasya na dṛśyatvaṃ dṛśyatve jaḍameva tat |svaprakāśaṃ ca caitanyaṃ na pareṇa prakāśitam || 12 ||=12. "Consciousness is not something we can perceive; what we perceive is indeed non-conscious. Consciousness is self-luminous; nothing else illuminates it."
अनवस्थादोषसत्त्वान्न स्वेनाऽपि प्रकाशितम् |कर्मकर्तृविरोधः स्यात् तस्मात् तद्दीपवत् स्वयम् || १३ ||anavasthā-doṣa-sattvānna svenā'pi prakāśitam |karma-kartṛ-virodhaḥ syāt tasmāt tad-dīpavat svayam || 13 ||13. It does not even illuminate itself, for that would lead to the fallacy of infinite regress. As an agent and the object acted upon are distinct entities, so consciousness itself, like a lamp...
प्रकाशमानमन्येषां भासकं विद्धि पर्वत |अत एव च नित्यत्वं सिद्धसंवित् तनोर्मम || १४ ||prakāśa-mānamanyeṣāṃ bhāsakaṃ viddhi parvata |ata eva ca nityatvaṃ siddha-saṃvit tanormama || 14 ||14. While shining brightly, illuminates what is other than itself. Know, this, O Mountain, for thus have I demonstrated that consciousness, belonging to My own nature, is eternal.