[advaitiin] jnAna and bhakti

[Guest guest]

On Sat, 24 May 2003, Ranjeet Sankar wrote in thread "A Note on

Nonduality"

> Namaste to all,

>

> [...]

>

>

> Its the 24th of May....and I still dont know what exactly jnAna-bhakti

> is according to Shri Sankaraacharya! (except from what I read from 3 or

> 4 mails this month)

>

> [...]

>

> Om

> ranjeet

>

 

 

namaste.

 

May be I am repeating myself here, but it is my understanding

that bhakti and jnAna are one and the same.

 

If we take bhakti as extreme devotion to the SELF and jnAna

as the ultimate surrendering of the ego, there is no difference

between the two.

 

I do not think shri shankara differentiated between jnAna

and bhakti anywhere in His writings. If anyone found such

an expression of difference by shri shankara, I would be

grateful for the reference.

 

 

swami paramarthananda

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

 

In his discourses on UddhavagItA, swami Paramarthananda quotes

shruti and says "brahma-jnAnam eva moksha-sAdhanam.. na anyena

hetunA.." brahma-jnAnam is the only way for moksha. There is

no other path.

 

To get brahma-jnAnam, the only method is jnAna-yoga.

To get to jnAna-yoga, the only way is karma-yoga.

karma-yoga and jnAna-yoga can both be called bhakti-yoga.

karma-yoga can be called bhakti-yoga level 1 and jnAna-yoga

can be called bhakti-yoga level 2.

 

 

shri RamaNa on bhakti and jnAna

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

 

shri RamaNa did not differentiate between bhakti and jnAna either.

Two years ago, shri sunder-ji posted the following excerpt

(post # 9378) of shri RamaNa's teaching. I reproduce that excerpt

here for ease of reference.

 

 

Here is an analysis by Sri Ramana:

 

http://www.ramana-maharshi.org/m_path/1964_4/fillers.htm

 

Jnana and Bhakti

By Dr. T. N. Krishnaswami

 

 

Jnana and Bhakti are like two sweets made out of the same sugar, of

which you can choose whichever you like. Giving up 'mine' is Bhakti;

giving up 'I' is Jnana. The former gives up all his possessions; the

latter gives up the very possessor of the possessions.

 

Bhakti is turning the mind towards God. Self-enquiry, the path of

Jnana, turns the mind to its own inner essence, which is the Self. In

Self-enquiry the subject sets out in search of himself. He who seeks

must exist. This existence is itself the Self. In Bhakti one is

disgusted with one's individual self and feels one's nothingness or

unimportance and fixes one's mind on the Higher Power. When the mind

at last becomes fully aware of the Higher Power it is awed by it and

absorbed into it. This is total surrender of the ego. The man no

longer is; God alone is.

 

The Cloud of Unknowing, a 14th Century Christian work in which the

soul is oned with God, says that all creatures have in them two

powers, one a knowing power, the other a loving power. To the first,

God, the Maker of both powers, is eternally incomprehensible; to the

second He is comprehensible. This is the wonderful miracle of

love. "He may well be loved but not thought. Love may reach God in

this life but not 'knowing'." So far is Bhakti, but the book

continues: "And therefore swink and sweat in all that thou canst and

mayest for to get thee a true knowing and a feeling of thyself as

thou art. And then I trou thou shalt have a true knowing and a

feeling of God as He is." This is Jnana. He who does not know his

Self cannot know and much less love God.

 

Here is what the Maharshi says on the subject: "To long for happiness

is Bhakti. To long for the Self is Jnana."

 

It is Jnana to know that the Master is within you, but to commune with

Him is bhakti. When the love of God or Self is manifest it is Bhakti;

when it is in secret it is Jnana.

 

To know the Self as bliss is Jnana; efforts to uncover this natural

bliss are Bhakti. A bhakta makes no plans, trusting that God who sent

us here has his own scheme, which alone will work. He claims nothing.

He has surrendered his personality, so that his actions and their

results are due to the Higher Power. He accepts whatever befalls with

equanimity. He has learnt from the Gita that actions go on of

themselves, without an actor. A cyclone causes havoc but there is no

actor responsible for it. God has created actions but no actor at

all.

 

One-pointed thought of God is Bhakti; one-pointed experience of Self

is Jnana. When 'other' arises there is fear. There should be one

alone, whether we call it God or Self.

 

--------

 

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

------

[Guest guest]

advaitin, Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy@m...>

wrote:

>>

> If we take bhakti as extreme devotion to the SELF and jnAna

> as the ultimate surrendering of the ego, there is no difference

> between the two.

>

> I do not think shri shankara differentiated between jnAna

> and bhakti anywhere in His writings. If anyone found such

> an expression of difference by shri shankara, I would be

> grateful for the reference.

 

 

Namaste,

 

Three references to Shankara's bhashyas may help us:

 

(Will post more details on ref. 2 & 3 next week).

 

[One has to keep in mind his basic definition of bhakti as 'devotion

of knowledge' svasvarUpAnusandhAnam - Vivekachudamani v.# 31.

"Chief among the causes of Freedom is devotion, the intentness of the

soul on its own nature. Or devotion may be called intentness on the

reality of the Self." tr. Charles Johnston].

 

1. Gita 18:49 - tr. by Sw. Gambhirananda (from the Files section)

 

##49. He whose intellect remains unattached to everything, who has

conquered his internal organs and is desireless, attains through

monasticism the supreme perfection consisting in the state of one

free from duties.

 

Asakta-buddhih, he whose intellect, the internal organ, remains

unattached; sarvatra, to everything, with regard to son, wife and

others who are the cuases of attachment; jitatma, who has conquered

his internal organs; and vigata-sprhah, who is desireless, whose

thirst for his body, life and objects of enjoyment have been

eradicated;-he who is such a knower of the Self, adhigaccahti,

attains; sannyasena, through monasticism, through perfect knowledge

or through renunciation of all actions preceded by this knowledge;

the paramam, supreme, most excellent; naiskarmya-siddhim, perfection

consisting in the state of one free from duties.

One is said to be free from duties from whom duties have daparted as

a result of realizing that the actionless Brahman is his Self; his

state is naiskarmyam. That siddhi (perfection) which is this

naiskarmya is naiskarmya-siddhi. Or, this phrase means 'achievement

of naiskarmya', i.e., achievement of the state of remaining

established in one's own real nature as the actionless Self-which is

different from the success arising from Karma (-yoga), and is of the

form of being established in the state of immediate Liberation.

Accordingly has it been said, '...having given up all actions

mentally,....without doing or causing (others) to do anything at all'

(5.13).

 

The stages through which one who has attained success-which has the

aforesaid characteristics and which arises from the performance of

one's own duties mentioned earlier as worship of God-, and in whom

has arisen discriminative knowledge, achieves perfection-in the form

of exclusive adherence to Knowledge of the Self and consisting in the

state of one free from duties-have to be stated. With this is view

the Lord says:

 

50. Understand for certain from Me, in brief indeed, O son of Kunti,

that process by which one who has achieved success attains Brahman,

which is the supreme consummation of Knowledge.

======================================================================

 

2. Mandukya Karika 3:16

aashramaastrividhaa hiinamadhyamotkR^ishhTadR^ishhTayaH |

upaasanopadishhTeyaM tadarthamanukampayaa || 16 ||

 

=====================================================================

 

3. Chandogya upanishad 3:14:1

sarvaM khalvidaM brahma tajjalaaniti shaanta upaasiita |

atha khalu kratumayaH purushho yathaakraturasmin loke

purushho bhavati tathetaH pretya bhavati sa kratuM kurviita

|| 3.14.1 ||

 

=====================================================================

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh>

wrote:

> advaitin, Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy@m...>

> wrote:

> >>

> > If we take bhakti as extreme devotion to the SELF and jnAna

> > as the ultimate surrendering of the ego, there is no difference

> > between the two.

> >

> > I do not think shri shankara differentiated between jnAna

> > and bhakti anywhere in His writings. If anyone found such

> > an expression of difference by shri shankara, I would be

> > grateful for the reference.

 

Namaste,

 

[ Message 17579 - continued ]:

> > 2. Mandukya Karika 3:16

> aashramaastrividhaa hiinamadhyamotkR^ishhTadR^ishhTayaH |

> upaasanopadishhTeyaM tadarthamanukampayaa || 16 ||

>

(tr. by Sw. Nikhlilananda - 4th ed. 1955)

 

"16. There are three stages of life corresponding to three - the

lower, the middle and the high - powers of comprehension. The

Scripture, out of compassion, has taught this devotion (or

discipline) for the benefit of those (who are not yet enlightened).

 

Sankara's Commentary - "

Objection - If according to such Shruti passages as ' Atman is one

without a second' etc., the Atman alone, the one, the eternally pure,

illumined and free, is the highestand the ultimate Reality and all

else is unreal, what then is the purpose of the devotion and

spiritual practices implied in such Shruti passages as, 'Oh dear,

Atman alone is to be seen', 'The Attmen who is free from....', 'He

desired', It should be worshipped as Atman', etc.? Further, what is

the utility of Karma (Vedic works) like Agnihotra etc.?

 

Reply - Yes, listen to the reasons. Ashrama signifies those who are

competent to follow the disciplines of life as prescribed for the

different stages. The word (in the txt) also includes those who

belong to the (different) castes and therefore who observe the rites

(prescribed for those castes). The application of the word Ashrama

implies that these castes are also three in number. How? It is

because they are endowed with three kinds of intellect, namely, low,

middle and high. This discipline as well as the (various) Karmas

(works) are prescribed for the Ashramis of low and average

intellect., by the Shruti, out of compassion, so that they also,

following the correct disciplines, amy attain to the superior

knowledge. That this discipline is not for those who possess the

right understanding i.e. who are already endowed with the Knowledge

of Atman which is one and without a second, is supported by such

Shruti passages as , ' That which canot be known by the mind, but by

which, they say, the mind is able to think, that alone know to be

Brahman, and not that which people here adore', "That thou art', 'All

this is verily Brahman', etc."

 

Excerpts from Sw. N.'s annotations:

Intellect - low - Those who look upon the phenomenal universe (the

Karya Brahman) as real, are said to possess low intellect.

middle - Those who worship the Karana Brahman, that is the Brahman as

the cause of the universe, are said to possess mediocre intellect,

because hey still live on the causal plane.

high - Those who have realized the non-dual (Advaita) Atman are said

to possess superior power of understanding.

As the possessor of the Knowledge of non-dual Atman is free from all

distinction of Asrama and Varna, it is therefor not necessary for him

to perform any Vedic work or practise any spiritual discipline.

The meaning of the Karika is this: The Ashramas and the Varnas

described in the Shruti, and the different functions ascribed to them

have only a disciplinary value; the man purpose is to train the

student to understand the unity of Jiva and Atman. "

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

[Next will be the Chandogya Bhashya on 3:14:1. Following that there

will be a commentary by Sw. Chandrasekhara Bharati on verses 32-33 of

Vivekachudamani,on the definition of bhakti].

[Guest guest]

> > advaitin, Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy@m...>

> > wrote:

> > >>

> > > If we take bhakti as extreme devotion to the SELF and jnAna

> > > as the ultimate surrendering of the ego, there is no difference

> > > between the two.

>

Namaste,

 

[continuation of Messge Index #s 17579 and 17600] -

 

Chandogya upanishad 3:14:1

sarvaM khalvidaM brahma tajjalAniti shAnta upAsiita |

atha khalu kratumayaH puruSho yathAkraturasmin loke

puruSho bhavati tathetaH pretya bhavati sa kratuM kurvIta

|| 3.14.1 ||

 

[tr. By Sw. Gambhirananda –3rd reprint Aug. 1997, Advaita Ashrama,

Calcutta].

 

" All this is Brahman. (This is born from, dissolves in,

and exists in That. Therefore, one should meditate by

becoming calm. Because a person is identified with (his)

conviction, (therefore) just as the conviction of a man

has in this world, so does he become after departing from

here. Therefore he should shape his conviction."

 

Again, of that very Brahman – which is three-footed, immortal,

possessed of infinite qualities, possessed of infinite powers,

and is to be meditated on in diverse ways-, the text now wants

to enjoin a mediatation on It as possessed of special qualities

and powers.

 

Sarvam, all; - khalu is an indeclinable word used here for

embellishment of the sentemce-; idam, this, this world diversified

through names and forms, (and) which is the object of direct

perception etc. has Brahman as its origin. The word Brahman

derivatively means that which is the oldest. How can all be Brahman?

Therefore, the text says, `tajjalAn':-Because all (creation),

through a succession of fire, water, food, etc. is born from that

Brahman, therefore it is called `tajja'; and it is `talla' because,

through a reverse process of that very order of birth, it gets merged

in that very Brahman, becomes wholly dentified with that; (and it

is `tadana' because it continues to live, to function on that very

Brahman during the state of its existence.Thus, the world, in the

three states, is non-different from Brahman because it is not

perceived apart from It. Therefore this world is surely That itself.

 

Further, since all this is Brahman, therefore, upAsIta, one should

meditate on Brahman which is all (this), as possessed of the

qualities that will be stated; shAntaH, by becoming calm, by becoming

self-controlled, free from attachment, aversion, etc. How should one

meditate? kurvIta, he should shape; kratum, his conviction,

determination, a firm belief that this is such only and not otherwise.

The words, `He should shape (his) conviction, has to be connected

With the remote words, `He should meditate on'. [`The connection

between the two portions is explained by Ananda-Giri by saying

that the meditation is to be carried on till it takes the form of

such a conviction.]

 

What again, is the purpose to be served by shaping the conviction?

Or how is it that conviction to be shaped ? The text starting with

atha (khalu), because, etc., is meant for establishing how the

shaping of the convictionis a means for the attainment of the desired

result. The words atha khalu are used in the sense of `because'.

Because, puruShaH, a person; is kratumayaH, identified with the kind

of conviction that he entertains; (therefore) yathAkratuH puruShaH

bhavati, just as the sort of conviction he entertains; asmin loke, in

this world, while living here; tathA, so;bhavati, does he become;

itaH pretya, after departing from here, from the body, (i.e.) after

death. The idea is that he becomes identified with the result

that accords with his conviction. For thus is it found in the

scripture: `With whatever ideas in his mind, a man leaves his body at

the end' (Gita 8:6), etc.

Since this is the procedure found in the scriptures, therefore, he,

having this knowledge, should shape his conviction (after) the

conviction that we shall speak of . Thus, since on the authority of

the scriptures it becomes reasonable that the result accords with the

conviction, therefore, that conviction has to be shaped. How?……………..

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh>

wrote:

> > > advaitin, Gummuluru Murthy

<gmurthy@m...>

> > > wrote:

> > > >>

> > > > If we take bhakti as extreme devotion to the SELF and jnAna

> > > > as the ultimate surrendering of the ego, there is no

difference

> > > > between the two.

 

Namaste,

 

[concluding Message Index # s 17599, 17600, 17615 ]

 

Vivekachudamani, by Shankaracharya

 

Commentary in Sanskrit by Sw. Chandrasekhara Bharati, Sringeri

Mathadhipati - 1912-1954; tr. P. Sankaranarayanan, 4th ed. 1999,

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,Mumbai].

 

32.

"Thus, having explained viveka etc. (the sAdhana-chatuShTaya), which

constitute the qualifications of the adhikArin for Brahma-vichAra

which means devoutly listening to the passages relating to Brahman

without a second, which is non-different from one's Atman and which

is eternally pure, intelligent and free, Sri BhagavatpAda proceeds to

speak of bhakti which is the direct (internal) means (antaranga-

sAdhana) to realization of the Atman and which is what is to be

achieved by the aforesaid inquiry."

 

mokshakaaraNasaamagr.hyaaM bhak{}tireva gariiyasii |

svasvaruupaanusandhaanaM bhak{}tirityabhidhiiyate ||32||

 

"Among the material aids for achieving mokSha, bhakti is the

greatest. Continuous contemplation of one's essential nature

(svarUpa) is said to be bhakti."

 

"By sva-svarUpAnusandhAna contemplation on one's essential nature,

nididhyAsana (profound repeated meditation) is meant. That alone can

serve as the immediate means to direct realization. The continuous

contemplation of the shruti text and the upadesha of the guru: sa

AtmA tattvamasi (That is the Atman; That thou art): 'Thy essential

nature is Brahman; thou art That only', is the indispensable means

(asAdhAraNa kAraNa) of such realization. This contemplation

(anusandhAna) is of the form of the exclusion of contrary ideas and

is marked by a continuous flow of accordant ideas. shama etc., are

the cause of jnAna mediated by vichAra and nididhyAsana. But

nididhyAsana is the immediate cause fr it. Because it produces direct

realization, it is said to be the greatest among sAdhana-s that make

for jnAna which is revelatory of one's true nature which is

synonymous with mokSha.*

*[footnote:the idea is that jnAna does not produce mokSha as a thing

to be effectuated like a pot. It is not cause in that sense. The

jIvAtman is ever Brahman. This knowledge was hidden. It is revealed

by such jnAna.]

"Among the means for nididhyAsana, bhakti is the greatest, because it

is directand internal means.

"The sAmagrI (resources) referred to here is of those beginning with

viveka and ending with nididhyAsana."

 

32½

"A view of bhakti held by certain others is referred to here.

 

svaatmatattvaanusan{}dhaanaM bhak{}tirityapare jaguH |32½|

 

"Others say taht the continuous contemplation of the truth of one's

Atman is bhakti."

 

"svAtmanaH means of one's own jIvAtman. The truth about its nature

means the ParamAtman indicated by the word 'That'. Its anusandhAna

means though really there is difference (between the jIva and the

ParamAtman) for the nonce, contemplation of 'That' as oneself in the

manner of ahaM-grahopAsanA or meditation on the jIva as non-different

from the ParamAtman. *

*[footnote- upAsanA is of three kinds.: 1. angAvabodhopAsanaA in

which some person or thing is worshipped or meditated as a limb of a

rite as where a kurcha of sacred grass is thought as a deity invoked

on it (asmin kurche brhmAnamAvAhayAmi); 2. pratIkopAsanA as where an

idol or picture is worshipped as a god; 3. ahaMgrahopAsanA in which

the worshipper himself is equated with a deity as in shivo.ahaM or

so.ahaM].

"Others say, that is bhakti. Sri BhagavatpAda implies by the words

apare jaguH - 'others say', that this is not mukhyabhakti, as it is

preceded by a sense of difference and is a delusion."

 

[concluded.]

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

> advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh>

> wrote:

> > > > advaitin, Gummuluru Murthy

> <gmurthy@m...>

> > > > wrote:

> > > > >>

> > > > > If we take bhakti as extreme devotion to the SELF and jnAna

> > > > > as the ultimate surrendering of the ego, there is no

> difference

> > > > > between the two.

> "Others say, that is bhakti. Sri BhagavatpAda implies by the words

> apare jaguH - 'others say', that this is not mukhyabhakti, as it is

> preceded by a sense of difference and is a delusion."

 

Namaste,

 

The word 'mukhya-bhakti' is defined in the Narada Bhakti

Sutras, 5:81, as:

 

trisatyasya bhaktireva garIyasI, bhaktireva garIyasI |

 

"Only love of the absolute, eternal Truth is the greatest; this love,

indeed, is the greatest."

 

In contrast, 4:56, defines 'gauNI bhakti' -

 

gauNI tridhA guNabhedAd ArtAdibhedAd vA |

 

"Secondary devotion is of three kinds, according to the qualities of

the mind of the person in whom it manifests itself; either it may be

classified as sAttvika, rAjasika, or tAmasika; or it may be divided

as Arta, jijnAsu, and arthArthin as per Gita 7:16."

 

[tr. by Sw. Tyagisananda, 5th ed. 1972; Ramakrishna Math, Madras.]

[The translator also has lengthy notes appended at the end of the

book. In summary, mukhyabhakti is that of a jIvanmukta, the liberated

in life.]

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

> > > > > advaitin, Gummuluru Murthy

> > <gmurthy@m...>

> > > > > wrote:

> > > > > >>

> > > > > > If we take bhakti as extreme devotion to the SELF and

jnAna

> > > > > > as the ultimate surrendering of the ego, there is no

> > difference

> > > > > > between the two.

>

 

Namaste,

 

As we come to the concluding day of the month of May and the

topic of jnana and bhakti, let us remember in gratitude those whose

names evoke in the Hindu hearts the cherished ideals of bhakti and

jnana like nothing else can!

 

prahlAda-nArada-parAshara-puNDarIka-

 

vyAsa-ambarISha-shuka-shaunaka-bhIShma-dAlbhyAn |

 

rukma-a~Ngada-arjuna-vasiShTha-vibhIShaNAdIn

 

puNyAn imAn parama bhAgavatAn smarAmi ||

 

[Prahlada, Narada, Parashara, Pundarika

Vyasa, Ambarisha, Shuka, Shaunaka, Bhishma, Dalbhya;

Rukma, Angada, Arjuna, Vasishtha, Vibhishana and others

I remember (with reverence) these supremely meritorious devotees].

 

May we all deserve their blessings!

 

[in the part of India I grew up in, namely Maharashtra, we also

remember in addition, the founder of the Bhagavata Sampradaya] -

Nivritti-Jnanadeva-Sopana-Muktabai,

Ekanath-Namdev-Tukaram]

 

I am sure other parts of India have similar

traditions.]

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

To ehco Shree Sunder words, in Telugu one of the greatests composer -

Shree Tyagaraaya who was the very bhakti incornate wrote thousands of

krities mostly on Lord Rama. He says in one of his songs

 

endaro mahaanubhaavulu andariiki vandanaalu -

 

There are so many great souls in this world and we are standing on the

platform build by them - to all of them my prostrations.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

 

 

 

=====

What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift

to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.

 

 

 

Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook.

http://calendar.

[Guest guest]

To ehco Shree Sunder words, in Telugu one of the greatests composer -

Shree Tyagaraaya who was the very bhakti incornate wrote thousands of

krities mostly on Lord Rama. He says in one of his songs

 

praNAm prabhuji

Hare Krishna

 

It is *Shree Tyagaraaja* correct prabhuji??

 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

bhaskar

[Guest guest]

--- bhaskar.yr wrote:

> It is *Shree Tyagaraaja* correct prabhuji??

>

> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

> bhaskar

>

 

 

Yes bhaskar - he is also referred to Tyagaraaya too since raya and raja

are essentially the same.

 

Hari OM!

Sadananda

>

 

 

=====

What you have is His gift to you and what you do with what you have is your gift

to Him - Swami Chinmayananda.

 

 

 

Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook.

http://calendar.