In plain words
That is, the oneness within the many, unity in diversity: so many thousands are sitting in this gathering. Everyone's forms and names are different. But we must recognise the Satya that the Ātma-tattva in all of them is one. So we must recognise most clearly that the divinity, whose form is consciousness everywhere, is one. It is not merely saying it in words. We must bring it into experience. Only to such a wise one does Ānanda come without a break. Only the person who has gained such Ānanda can be called wise.
If you wish to reach the high state called wise, you must first pass through karma and upāsana. Without conquering karma and upāsana, without achieving them, one cannot become wise at all. For example, we said ‘a BA student’. What is the inner meaning in this? That he has passed the school final and the intermediate: that is the meaning. It is quite clear. Without passing this school final and inter, you cannot come to the BA stage. In the same way, someone gets the name ‘young man’. In this ‘young man’ it is quite clear that he has come through childhood. Without passing childhood and boyhood, he cannot be a young man. When we point to this and say it is a fruit, it has come through the stages of fruitlet and green fruit and has become a ripe fruit. Without passing fruitlet and green fruit, it could not have become ripe fruit. In just the same way, anyone may say, ‘I am a wise man.’ This is only Vedānta of the tongue; it can never be the Vedānta of Satya. The wise one must be in Ānanda always. Are such signs there? Has he passed beyond the karma-kāṇḍa and the upāsana-kāṇḍa before this? Without passing those two, how did he become wise? Impossible. That is why the Veda developed the karma-kāṇḍa, the upāsana-kāṇḍa and the Jñāna-kāṇḍa, one after another. It set them up as three paths, so that through these three the oneness of God might be recognised. It has rained. What sign should there be that it rained? The ground should be wet. To say it rained and nothing got wet: that is not possible at all. One may say, ‘I have a fever.’ If you have a fever, the body should be hot, should it not! There should be some sign, should there not! Or the thermometer should show it, should it not! If one merely says ‘I have a fever’, it is only a stunt. In the same way, many people today proclaim to themselves, ‘I am wise, wise.’ It is just such Vedāntins who are multiplying most today. Among such Vedāntins we cannot find even one in a crore.
If we wish to attain such Vedānta, we must first enter the path of karma. On this path of karma we must perform sacred karmas. We must regard all karmas as done for the pleasure of God.