JIvAtma SAkshAtkAram as a pre-requisite to ParamAtma SAkshAtkAram

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImatE rAmAnujAya namaH

SrImatE nigamAnta mahAdESikAya namaH

 

namO nArAyaNa!

 

Dear bhaktas,

 

Some months back, Sri Krishna Kalale posed this

question reg JIvAtma SAkshAtkAram being a

pre-requisite to ParamAtma sAkshAtkAram.

The following was my response to him.

 

More can be added ....But, due to lack of time, I

am simply reproducing the earlier posting. I hope that this

will reduce the workload of others who try to explain this issue

in the light of Bhagavad GItA.

 

As mentioned earlier by SrI Krishna Kalale (Kashyap), Sri UtthamUr

Swami's tippaNi on this issue is very important. It can understood

quite well, with the comprehension of the following.

 

Also, the case of upAsana (bhakti-yoga) with change in meditational

focus unto jIvAtma as SarIra of ParamAtma is not considered by me -

The answer to it also will be on similar lines.

----------------

> I need an answer to the following question.

>

> As per upanisads can it be established unmistakably, that

> atmasakshatkaram is absolutely needed for bhakti yoga? If so

> provide detailed quotes and these quotes should be unmistakable

> and generally agreeable to wider audience, (in the sense strongly

> provable.)

 

In SrImad RTS, SwAmi DESikan in the 9th Ch on different

upAyas (upAya-vibhAga adhikAra), crisply highlights the important

characteristics of Karma, Jn~Ana and Bhakti Yogas. In the

concluding part of swAmi's note on Jn~Ana yoga, it is stated that

jIvAtma-darSana is essential for starting bhakti yoga, with the

analogy of a RatNa inside a cloth. In essence, the siddhAnta

implied is that during the bhakti-yoga (UpAsana), the ParamAtma

has to be meditated upon as one's (jIvAtma's) aatma ie.SarIri.

<<Ref discussion from Bramha SUtras at the end>>

 

Three things are to be noted : JIvAtma-the upAsaka,ParamAtma-the

object of upAsana and the SarIra-SarIri bhAva- the binding

relationship between them. If the jIvAtma (upAsaka) needs to

meditate upon the ParamAtma as its SarIri, it presupposes that

the upAsaka needs to have full-realization of what he is actually.

In the upAsana "ParamAtma, MY SarIri", the "MY" component is

there. This upAsana is incomplete, without the full knowledge of

"I" - ie.jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram (*). Hence, JIvAtma-SAkshAtkAram is

absolutely necessary for starting bhakti-yoga.

 

(*) : During jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram, jIvAtma as being essentially

jn~Ana which is aNu,blemishless, bliss etc is fully

realized. JIvAtma being a sEsha {Or SarIra} is not meditated

upon in the dhyAna yoga for attaing jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram.

That characteristic is added during upAsana. Please refer

to the archives on a posting on Karma,Jn~Ana and Bhakti

Yogas for further information.

 

SrI UtthamUr SwAmi, in his commentary to SrImad RTS cites one

text as being in KaThavalli : "adhyAtma-yoga-adhigamEna

dEvam matva...". It can be easily spotted in KaThopanishad -

Second VallI of the first adhyAya - which includes the

qualifications for the seeker of moksha. The above cited text is

in the mantra (1.2.12), which is the pointed answer in a

nut-shell by Yama to Nachiketas's third query. Next mantra is also

a part of that answer.

 

tam durdarSam gUDam anupravishTam guhAhitam gahvarEshTham purANam |

adhyAtma-yoga-adhigamanEna dEvam matvA dhIr(aH)O harshasOkou jahAti||

 

SrI Ra~ngarAmAnuja Muni explains that adhyAtma-yoga refers to

realization/knowledge of the jIvAtma. The first line is filled with

adjectives of the ParamAtma - dEva. In essence, this mantra states

that, the wise man (jIvAtma) discards both pleasure and sorrow

{of material world} after knowing the Supreme-Self - which is

difficult to be perceived, un-revealing due to avidya in the form

of karma/action, entered all beings, dwelling in the cave of heart,

indwelling and beginingless. This state is obtained "Through the

Realization attained by the meditation upon oneself ie.jIvAtma" -

Meaning of "adhyAtma-yoga-adhigamEna".

 

In the commentary to the next mantra, Upanishad BhAshyakAra

elaborates on the justification of the meaning ascribed to

adhyAtma-yoga in mantra 12 - Quite lengthy for this article if

needs to be fully explained. Please go through both

the pUrvapaksham and siddhAntam here ; Refer the corresponding

adhikaraNa in SrI-BhAshya for additional info. More info can be had

from the commentary to subsequent mantras also : Please go through

them as well, since the discussion on mantra 12 still carries on.

 

Bramha SUtras on this issue :

 

In the first pAda of Fourth adhyAya, the nature of upAsana

is stated atfirst. The first two sUtras are on the repetitive

nature (aavruti) of the upAsana. The third sUtra, which is the

only sUtra of "aatmatvOpAsana-adhikaraNam" is :

 

aatmA-iti tu-upagacchanti grAhyanti cha |

 

aatma-iti tu : << UpAsana upon ParamAtma has to be>> Only as

<one's> Self (aatma). "tu" is for affirmation/

certainity.

 

upagacchanti : The upAsakas of the past have done it that

way.

 

grAhyanti cha : As understood from Upanishads.

 

SrI-BhAshyam and its commentaries are quite elaborate and

are flooded with many pramANas and explanations. In essence,

the upAsana has to be in the form of "aham bramhAsmi" etc.

Many such sAmAnAdhikaraNya Sruti texts are being cited to this

effect {ie. "aham" etc refers to ParamAtma-the SarIri of

the jIvAtma}.

 

As stated earlier, meditating ParamAtma as being one's aatma

presuposses the upAsaka be fully realized of oneself {JIvAtma

SAkshAtkAram}. The corresponding AdhikaraNa-SArAvali verses

for this single SUtra are from 444 to 448 (Totally Five).

Lots of info are available in its commentaries as well.

 

> As per gita,

>

> Is atmasakshataram absolutely necessary for one to start bhakti

> yoga?

 

PramANas for JIvAtma-SAkshAtkAram to be essential for bhakti-yoga :

 

In the last adhyAya (18th), Lord KrishNa wonderfully

sums up the essence of his teachings through the verses

51-56. They are regarding the paths of karma,jn~Ana and bhakti yoga,

and their inter-relationships in attaining Him.

 

Through the verses 51 to 53, BhagavAn describes various

characteristics of a person, endowed with which and

by performing aatma-anubhavam (SAntaH), he becomes

eligible to attain the "Bramha-bhAva" :

".......SAntaH bramhabhUyAya kalpatE" (18.53).

 

Here, "Bramha-BhAva" is not one's attainment of being

Bramhan, as advaitins might think, since in the very next

verse, further attainment of Para-Bhakti towards BhagavAn

is stated.

 

bramhabhUtaH prasannAtmA na Sochati na kA~nshati |

samaH sarvEshu bhUtEshu madbhaktim labhatE parAm || (18.54)

 

In essence (from BhAshyam and SrI UtthamUr SwAmi's brief

Tamil Commentary}, it states :

 

bramha-bhUtaH : As one experiensing oneself (jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram),

also with the nature of being a SEsha to Me,

 

prasanna-AtmA : one with blemishless svarUpa having controlled

various vAsanAs (previous imprints/instincts),

 

na SOchati : neither grieves for the loss of other things

except Myself,

 

na kA~nshati : nor craves for any other object except Myself.

 

sarvEshu Regarding all beings alike - that all these are not

bhUtEshu : his object of attainment, including the self

samaH {jIvAtma},

 

labhatE : one attains

 

parAm bhakti : para-bhakti unto Me - the BhagavAn.

 

 

Also, in the 12th adhyAya, which is "Steps for Bhakti-Yoga" as

pointed out by SrI UtthamUr SwAmi in his Sanskrit TippaNi, we

have pramANa to this effect. Lord KrishNa basically gives

the reverse order of spiritual path - explaining bhakti yoga

at first and then prescribes its previous stage of spiritual

sAdhana for those who can't perform bhakti yoga of that order,

again its previous stage of sAdhana for those who are not capable

of it and so on.

 

One of the main issues in starting the bhakti-yoga is the

"love" factor. Even during his days of karma-yoga, the yogi

loved PerumAL and proceeded to the stage of jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram

also. But, the excessive amount of love with which bhakti-yoga

needs to be performed might make the yogi spend some more

time in various bhagavad anubhavams and kai~nkaryams before

proceeding further to bhakti-yoga or upAsana proper. In the verse

12.9, "abhyAsa yoga" is prescribed for such yogis who haven't yet

developed that excessive love for PerumAL to start bhakti yoga.

"abhyAsa yoga" is the repetitive rememberance of various kalyANa

guNas of PerumAL, with *immense love*. If this stage is not attained

by the yogi, he is prescribed (in 12.10) to perform various

kai~nkaryams. BhAshyakArar lists various self-less kai~nkaryams

like construction of temples, laying out temple gardens, lighting

up lamps in temples, sweeping/washing the floor of temples,

gathering flowers for PerumAL, performance of pUja, performing

nAma sa~nkeertanam, glorifying various deeds and kalyANa guNas

of PerumAL etc - But to be performed with *great affection*. These

same activities can very easily be performed by even the likes of

aDiyEn - Its not as difficult as jn~Ana yoga. But, the catch is

the "love factor". All these types of kai~nkaryams are to be

performed with great affection - Thats the source of difficulty. If

the yogi has not reached that stage, Lord KrishNa advises him

to resort to aatma yoga ie.jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram.

 

atha-etat-api-aSaktaH-asi kartum mad-yogam-aaSritaH |

sarva-karma-phala-tyAgam tataH kuru yat-aatmavAn || (12.11)

 

ie. If you -who has the objective to perform Bhakti-Yoga (mad-Yoga),

are unable to perform those as said in 12.10, then perform

nishkAma-karma anushTAna (sarva-karma phala tyAgam) with

controlled mind (aatmavAn) - to attain the jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram

ie.resort to akshara yoga with its pre-requisite of performing

nishkAma karma.

 

Infact, BhAshyakAra cites the verses 18.53-54 {explained

above} to make us understand the connecting link - 12th ch

being in the reverse order of ladder steps from bhakti yoga to

downwards and 18th chapter verses in the forward order of

salient ladder steps to bhakti yoga.

 

The implication of akshara-yoga {for jIvAtma sAkshAtkaram} in the

above verse is easily understood from the next verse (12.12),

which is important to our question in hand :

 

SrEyO hi jn~Anam-abhyAsAt jn~AnAt dhyAnam viSishyatE |

dhyAnAt karma-phala-tyAgaH tyAgAt-SAntiH-anantaram || (12.12)

 

abhyAsAt jn~Anam SrEyaH : For one incapable of performing the

abhyAsa yoga, which demands immense love towards BhagavAn,

jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram (Or realization/knowledge of jIvAtma) is

better.

 

jn~AnAt dhyAnam viSishyatE : Better than the imperfect realization

or knowledge of the self, is the meditation on the self.

 

dhyAnAt karma-phala-tyAgaH <SrEyAn> : Better than the imperfect

meditation of the self, is the performance of nishkAma karma-

anushTAna.

 

tyAgAt anantaram SAntiH : By the performance of nishkAma karma-

anushTAna, mental purification or mental-peace is attained.

 

Hence, the ladder of sAdhana is extremly clear that jIvAtma

sAkshAtkAram is essential for one to proceed towards bhakti

yoga. Proceeding to bhakti yoga with imperfect knowledge

ie.realization of the self is strictly prohibited by Lord KrishNa.

 

The subsequent verses (12.13-19) describes the characteristics to

be imbibed by the devotee who is at the bottom-most stage in

performing only the nishkAma karma (has started to perform karma

yoga). By the way, please go through these verses witout fail.

PerumAL says that He loves the karma yogi with such

characteristics - No idea as to whether aDiyEn can obtain such

great guNas in this birth! Well, PerumAL cool-ly says that this

is the bottom-most step of the spiritual ladder for the

bhakti yoga !!

 

Also, in the avatArika (prelude ?) to the 3rd adhyAya on Karma

Yoga, BhAshyakAra explains with pramANas from Upanishads that

jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram is an a~nga (accessory) for bhakti yoga.

For instance, from the teaching of PrajApati in ChAndOgya Up,

starting from the text "ya aatmA-apahatapApmA .."(8.7.1), it is

evident that jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram is required for practising

bhakti yoga. SrI UtthamUr SwAmi mentioned this as "PrajApati's

vAkyas" in the SrImad RTS commentary in support of this doctrine.

----------------------------

 

Please refer the GIta-bhAshyam and tAt-parya-Chandrika for

more details apart from the Upanishad BhAshyam with SrI UtthamUr

SwAmi's parishKAra for appropriate texts involved.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

anantapadmanAbhan alias Anand.

kRushNArpaNam

[Guest guest]

bhakti-list, Anand K Karalapakkam <kgk@m...> wrote:

> In SrImad RTS, SwAmi DESikan in the 9th Ch on different

> upAyas (upAya-vibhAga adhikAra), crisply highlights the important

> characteristics of Karma, Jn~Ana and Bhakti Yogas. In the

> concluding part of swAmi's note on Jn~Ana yoga, it is stated that

> jIvAtma-darSana is essential for starting bhakti yoga, with the

> analogy of a RatNa inside a cloth.

 

I would modify this statement slightly but significantly.

I am not certain what Sri Desika says specifically in

Srimad Rahasya Traya Saara, but he is very clear on this

issue in his commentary on Sri Yamuna's Gitarthasangraha.

 

The position taken there is that while ultimately,

the vision of the blissful individual self (jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAra)

is definitely prefatory to success in bhakti-yoga and consequent

vision of the ParamAtman, such a vision of the individual self

is not a *necessary* condition to *beginning* the process of

bhakti-yoga. jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAra may occur on the way, but

one need not have had total success in karma-yoga or jnAna-yoga

before practicing bhakti-yoga in its full form.

 

Sri Desika here draws a distinction between bhakti-yoga itself

and para-bhakti, the high state of the contemplative devotional

experience when one actually achieves a ceaseless mental

calling to mind of the ParamAtman's form. When someone

starts bhakti-yoga, he or she may not have had any success

in the evenness of mind or the experience of the individual

self that constitutes the crown of karma-yoga and jnAna-yoga.

However, by the time the bhakti-yogi has arrived at the state

of para-bhakti (high bhakti), the vision of the self would have

been accomplished as a side effect of the practice of *this*

yoga, and not necessarily out of the practice of karma-yoga

or jnAna-yoga in their principal elements.

 

Sri Desika makes these comments on Gitarthasangraha (GAS) 25:

 

* Atma-dRSTes trayo 'py ete yoga-dvAreNa sAdhakAH //25//

 

* Any one of these three yogas (karma-yoga, jnAna-yoga,

* or bhakti-yoga) can achieve the vision of the individual

* self.

 

I do not have Sri Desika's GAS Raksha handy, but I recall

the essence of what he says. He himself brings up the

question of how bhakti-yoga can achieve the vision of the

individual self since it is generally thought that such a

vision is a preliminary for the commencement of bhakti-yoga.

Sri Desika says that quite clearly, one can engage in forms

of bhakti-yoga without having a vision of the self, and that

the vision of the self is only propaedeutic to para-bhakti,

a very advanced stage of bhakti-yoga. One can engage in

common devotional practices with sincere dedication, perform

one's daily and occasional religious rites as worship of

God, and attempt to contemplate on God directly, and be

called a bhakti-yogi. He cites a sentence from Vedarthasangraha

in support of this view.

 

For the distinction between the bhakti-yogi and one who

is engaged in para-bhakti, well, the Gita itself makes

such a distinction when Krishna teaches in chapter 18

that "such a yogi attains para-bhakti to Me" (mad-bhaktim

labhate parAm).

 

Drawing further on the various aspirants described in

Chapter 12 of the Gita and Sri Ramanuja's bhAshya, Sri Desika

points out that such a bhakti-yogi very will achieve the

vision of the self as an outgrowth of this yoga, since

bhakti-yoga contains jnAna-yoga and karma-yoga as elements

(vide GAS 24 "trayAnAm api yogAnAM tribhir anyonya-saMgamaH"

-- the three yogas are interdependent).

 

I was quite pleasantly surprised when I first read about

this take on bhakti-yoga. To be sure I had understood

this correctly, I brought up the issue with Dr. N.S. Anantha

Rangacharya. He said while many people are not aware of this

aspect of bhakti-yoga, Desika's comments here are absolutely

clear and that this "was not a matter of dispute within the

tradition".

 

What this means is that:

 

(a) When beginning their spiritual quest, some people

engage in karma-yoga, which is selfless action

performed as worship of God, with an understanding

of the true nature of the individual self. This

action takes the form of active compassion, charity,

austerity, visiting holy places, scriptural study,

yajna, etc.

 

(b) Some others engage in jnAna-yoga, which is contemplative

analysis of the nature of the individual self in relation

to the world and God. JnAna-yoga is essentially attempts

at meditation on the nature of the self consequent to

conquering the senses and bodily impulses.

 

© For both of these, an introductory understanding of

the nature of God are required. God is seen as the supreme

benefactor and the Supreme Self, and is worshipped for

success in yoga, but is not necessarily viewed as the

supreme goal. All this depends on the mindset of the

aspirant.

 

(d) Success in karma-yoga and jnAna-yoga leads to the vision

of the individual self (jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAra). Karma-yoga

can be a gateway to jnAna-yoga, and then subsequently

to jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAra, or it can lead directly to

jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAra because of the element of knowledge

that is fundamental to its practice.

 

(e) Between karma-yoga and jnAna-yoga the Gita counsels

aspirants to pursue karma-yoga because of its relative

ease and greater likelihood of failure.

 

(f) Once the vision of the self is secured, the aspirant

has obviously achieved some measure of success in yoga,

and has perceived the self in its proper place -- i.e.,

that it is truly different from the body, and that it

is 'Sesha' to God. The aspirant then naturally moves

on to loving contemplation of God directly. This contemplation

takes on different colors depending on the ultimate goal

of the aspirant.

 

(g) Some people may already have an abiding love for God

and may not be interested in engaging themselves principally

in karma-yoga or jnAna-yoga (see Gita chapter 12). These

people engage in a form of bhakti-yoga that does not

already have the vision of the self as its basis. Consequently

their meditation may not be as firm; yet, with time, they

too experience the proper nature of the self as an outgrowth

of their bhakti-yoga and are able to ceaselessly envision

the Lord.

 

(h) It is to be noted that for all of the above aspirants

the daily and occasional religious rites (nitya-naimittika

karma) are obligatory and are performed to the best of one's

ability as God's worship.

 

(i) One may worship God through bhakti-yoga for three goals:

(a) The securing of bodily or material prosperity

(aiSvaryArthi, in the Gita 'Arta' and 'arthArthi')

(b) To attain a permanent vision of the nature of the

individual self

(kaivalyArthi or jijnAsu)

© out of love of the ParamAtman alone (jnAni)

Chapters 7 and 8 of the Gita detail these different aspirants

and naturally give the highest place of honor to the jnAni,

who views success and failure purely in relation to union

with God.

 

Incidentally, the so-called 'akshara-upAsaka' of the Gita,

mentioned in the 7th, 8th, and 12th chapters, is understood to

refer to someone who seeks to permanently experience the

bliss of the individual self. This person engages in bhakti-yoga

for the sake this experience (the jijnAsu of the 7th chapter).

He meditates on God as the akshara for the sake of attaining

the jIva as akshara (see Desika's comments on Ramanuja-bhAshya

for chapter 8). For this reason he is known as an akshara-upAsaka

in Chapter 12.

 

The meditation of the akshara-upAsaka and the jnAni is different

in the following manner. Both of them have an understanding of

the nature of the individual self vis-a-vis the ParamAtman, but

the jnAni's is more advanced. While the akshara-upAsaka meditates

principally on the jIva having God as its innermost self, the

jnAni meditates principally on God having the jIva as His

attribute. (The first is brahma-SarIraka-jIvAtma upAsana,

the second is svAtma-viSishTa-brahma upAsana).

 

As Martin has pointed out, Sri Ramanuja mentions that the

distinction between these two aspirants is only in the initial

stage ("mukha-bhedena" -- see Vedanta Saara). Both are

meditating on God, only in different modes. The jnAnis

meditation is the more enlightened since he only cares

about God, the jIvAtma being incidental.

 

For this reason, the akshara-upAsaka is also sometimes known

as a jIvAtma-upAsaka; but the latter term is to be very

loosely taken and should be understood in the manner described

previously.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Mani

[Guest guest]

I made a critical typo in my previous message. My paragraph

on karma-yoga vis-a-vis jnAna-yoga should read:

 

(e) Between karma-yoga and jnAna-yoga the Gita counsels

aspirants to pursue karma-yoga because of its relative

ease and greater likelihood of success.

^^^^^^^^

 

Not "failure!"

 

Mani

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

 

I had yet another typo in my email from yesterday. I should

not write so hastily. I had written:

> The meditation of the akshara-upAsaka and the jnAni is different

> in the following manner. Both of them have an understanding of

> the nature of the individual self vis-a-vis the ParamAtman, but

> the jnAni's is more advanced. While the akshara-upAsaka meditates

> principally on the jIva having God as its innermost self, the

> jnAni meditates principally on God having the jIva as His

> attribute. (The first is brahma-SarIraka-jIvAtma upAsana,

> the second is svAtma-viSishTa-brahma upAsana).

 

The first Sanskrit term I used was incorrect. The meditation

of the akshara-upAsaka, i.e., one who seeks to experience

the bliss of his own individual self, is known as

'brahmAtmaka-svAtma upAsana' -- meditation on his own

individual self as having God at its core. This meditation

is more focussed on the attributes of imperishability,

blissfulness, consciousness, etc., which characterize

both the self and God.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

Mani