Bhakti and Jnanam

[Guest guest]

Bhakti and Jnanam

 

Devotion, Bhakti, is supreme love for the Lord. And Jnanam is Anandam.

'Vijnanam Anandam Brahma' is the scriptural statement. Thus we see there is a

fundamental oneness between Bhakti and Jnanam. It is to attain to the

realisation that one is Bliss itself that an aspirant strives for Atmajnanam.

And the role of Bhakti in the sadhaka's pursuit of liberation is vital. Thus we

see that the sadhana, the means, is Love and the saadhyam, the end, is also

Love. Here is a charming expression of Love:

 

Chiraat-kaschid vyaadhaH Shiva iti vasatyadri-shikhare

Sa te Maayii bhuutvaa dhanamaharadrddham sukhanidhiM |

Sa labdhasched daivaat kvachana pathi paashaiH smrtimayaiH

sakhe ! Tam badhniiyaa hrdaya nibhrtam daasyati punaH ||

 

For long, a hunter named Shiva has been living on the mountain-top; deceiving

you, He robbed you of your great wealth, the treasure of happiness; if you,

fortunately, meet Him on the way, bind Him, O friend, my Heart, with the cords

of meditation; He will quietly give back the treasure.

 

Sri Appayya Dikshitar, in his Manasollasa (above) 15th verse has condensed in

the short span of one sloka the entire gamut of Vedanta. We see the jiva being

subject to maya. There is the pursuit of the treasure, Anandam. The sadhana,

denoted by smritimayaiH connotes the entirety of sravanam, mananam and

nididhyasanam. And 'binding' speaks in the language of Bhakti reminding one of

the baalaleela of Krishna being bound by Yashodha. And the returning of the

treasure is the realisation of one's Anandasvarupa. Has not Sri Dikshitar

worked wonders with words !!

*****

 

 

Again and again we see Jnanis basking in the warmth of devotion. It would

seem that Bhakti is their very nature. Here is an incident excerpted from the

book: Exalting Elucidations :

 

One day at Sringeri, at the end of my meditation, I turned towards Acharyal's

paaduka-s and mentally visualized His presence. Immediately, the flowers that

were on the paaduka-s jumped up one foot into the air and dropped into my hands.

On a subsequent date, the Administrator of the Sringeri Math, Sri Giridhara

Sastry returned from the camp and conveyed to me a news that gave me great joy.

On the very day when this paaduka incident occurred, Acharyal had been at

Tarakeshwar. The Mahant had requested Acharyal to perform puja to the sacred

Jyotir-lingam there and Acharyal, as also the Mahanth had sat down for worship.

Instead of going through the usual puja procedure, Acharyal closed His eyes and

remained thus till the completion of the puja. Later, on being asked, Acharyal

said that He had been performing maanasika-puja. The portion of Giridhara

Sastry's narrative that is particularly relevant is as follows:

 

Aharyal had visualized a vessel with a thousand holes using which abhisheka

was being performed by Him to the sacred lingam. That time, according to

Acharyal, He saw me, asking Him whether I could also be with Him during the

puja. He acceded and said He had noticed my presence throughout the worship.

How much should be His concern that even at that time He should have chosen to

grace me. It was at that juncture, that at Sringeri flowers automatically

jumped off the paaduka-s and came to my hands.

(Sri R.M.Umesh)

Om Tat Sat