karma-jnana-bhakti sachibasu@...

[Guest guest]

sachi basu <sachibasu wrote:

Please clearly describe the relation with Karma,Gnyan & Bhakti

 

Sachibasu

 

 

 

I've been grappling with the same question and have so far

formulated the following relationship i.e.

 

<.....karma.....><.....jnana.....><....bhakti....>

activity-sacrifice-fruits-relinquishment-devotion

I'd appreciate it if more knowledgeable readers could

embellish/correct the following:

The progression of souls towards moksha could be viewed as points

in a cone, (points being jivas) where the lowest life forms

start at the base and the more evolved life forms at points closer

to the tip.

"Karma" governs all action, starting with the position at birth,

the direction of subsequent movement and the obstacles along the way.

It is beginingless.

Being born as a human is a result of having built good karma over the

ages through multiple other births.

All human beings need to "act".

na hi kascit ksanam api

jatu tisthaty akarma-krt

karyate hy avasah karma

sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih

 

No man can, even for a moment, rest without doing work;

for everyone is caused to act, in spite of himself, by

the Gunas of nature. (BG 3.5)

All human beings need sustenance, which stems from "sacrificial"

activities.

annad bhavanti bhutani

parjanyad anna-sambhavah

yajnad bhavati parjanyo

yajnah karma-samudbhavah

From food arise all beings (i.e., their bodies); from

rain food is produced; from sacrifice comes rain and

sacrifice springs from activity. (BG 3.14)

 

Sacrifice, which gives man fruits, is the intersection of

"jnana" and karma, and is personified by Agni:

agnimILe purohitaM yajñasya devaM RtvIjam

hotAraM ratnadhAtamam

 

I Laud Agni, the chosen Priest, God, minister of sacrifice,

The hotar, lavishest of wealth (RV 1.1.1)

"Faith", the intersection of "bhakti" and jnana, which stems from

relinquishing the fruits of actions is exhorted by Sri Krshna as:

sarva-dharman parityajya

mam ekam saranam vraja

aham tvam sarva-papebhyo

moksayisyami ma sucah

Completely relinquishing all Dharmas, seek Me alone

for refuge. I will release you from all sins. Grieve not.

(BG 18.66)

Bhakti derives from the root Bhaj is devotion which is the means

to attain moksha:

ye tu sarvani karmani

mayi sannyasya mat-parah

ananyenaiva yogena

mam dhyayanta upasate

tesam aham samuddharta

mrtyu-samsara-sagarat

bhavami na cirat partha

mayy avesita-cetasam

For, those who dedicate all actions to Me, hold me as

their supreme goal, intent on Me, and worship Me

meditating on Me with exclusive devotion;

Of those whose minds are thus focussed on Me, I become

soon their saviour from the ocean of mortal life.

(BG 12.6-7)

Yoga i.e. "the way" introduces time. Acting in a *given* way over time

i.e. karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, bhakti-yoga.

Bhakti-yoga is an arduous undertaking, given that one would

need to stay completely focussed, exclusively on Sriman Narayana

*all* the time. Time- which would include obstacles set forth by

karmic residues.

Prapatti or a complete relinquishment is an action that is taken at a

given point in time (in one fell swoop) and as such is more accessible.

Finally, a pasuram of Kurugur Satakopan Nammalvar's Tiruvaimoli that

in 4 lines encapsulates the relationship between to act, to know and to love

with a directive in a plea of poetic splendor.

IthE yaan unnaik koLvathe NYNYaanRum, en

mai thOy sOthi maNivaNNa enthaay,

eythaa_nin_kazal yaan eytha, NYaanak

kai thaa kaalakka kazivu seyyElE.

O, my dark effulgent Lord, here is all

I ask for at all times -

grant me the hands of knowledge, that I

may grasp your precious lotus feet.

(Tiruvaimoli 2.9.2)

BG Translations - Swami Adidevananda, DP Translation - Srirama Bharati

----

My rudimentary understanding is book-based without the privilege of

tutelage under a qualified acharya, so may be filled with

subjective & conceptual inaccuracies.

Thanks

Srinivasan Sriram

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now