THE HIGHEST YOGI

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THE HIGHEST YOGA

 

"The culmination of all kinds of yoga practices lies in bhakti-yoga.

 

All other yogas are a means to the bhakti of bhakti-yoga.

 

Yoga actually means bhakti-yoga.

 

>From the beginning of karma-yoga to the end of bhakti-yoga is a long way to

 

Self-realization.

 

 

When karma-yoga increases in knowledge and renunciation, it becomes jnana-yoga.

 

When jnana-yoga increases in meditation on the Supersoul and the mind is on Him,

 

it is called astanga-yoga.

 

And when one surpasses the astanga-yoga and comes to the point of the

 

Supreme Personality of the Godhead Krishna, it is called bhakti-yoga. One now

has

 

surpassed all the other yogas.

 

 

 

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Vision of Krishna :

 

The yogi sees Krishna as Syamasundara, who is beautifully colored as a cloud,

 

whose lotuslike face is as effulgent as the sun,

 

whose dress is brilliant with jewels and whose body is flower-garlanded.

 

Illuminating all His sides is his gorgeous luster, which is called brahmayoti

 

 

If one remains fully conscious of these features of the Lord, he is called the

 

highest yogi."

 

 

 

Satchitananda

 

Kathy

 

(BHAGAVAD-GITA As It Is. Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. 360-361)

[Guest guest]

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

'bahUnAM janmanAm ante jnAnavAn mAM prapadyate,

vAsudevaH sarvam iti sa mahAtmA sudurlabhaH'

 

(Bhagavadgita 7.19)

 

The Blessed Lord said:

 

'At the END of many, many births,

the man of WISDOM takes REFUGE in Me,

REALIZING that Vaasudeva (Lord Krishna)

is ALL that IS.

RARE indeed is that GREAT soul.'

 

Vaasudeva connotes the 'pratyagaatman' - that which is immanent in

everything sentient and insentient, movable, and immovable, good and

bad.

 

Quite a number of 'sadhakas' take innumerable births BEFORE

they GAIN COMPLETE REALIZATION and get FIXED in the TRUTH.

 

The man who has ATTAINED this ACME of REALIZATION is indeed RARE in

this world. He is verily GREAT SOUL among men.

 

The GREAT SOUL is referred also in the third stanza of the same

chapter.

 

'manuSyANAM sahasreSu kazcid yatati siddhaye,

yatatAm api siddhAnAM kazcin mAM vetti tattvataH'

 

(Bhagavadgita 7.3)

 

The Blessed Lord said:

 

'Among thousands of men SCARCELY

ONE strives for PERFECTION, and

those WHO STRIVE and SUCCEED,

SCARCELY ONE KNOWS ME IN TRUTH.'

 

The HIGHER the IDEAL, the HARDER is the ACHIEVEMENT of it.

Pitfalls are too many in the path of Divine Perfection.

COMPETENCY for IT is rarely found among men.

 

The RIGHT ATTITUDE,

the RIGHT UNDERSTANDING,

the RIGHT ADJUSTMENT,

the RIGHT APPLICATION -

these fourfold INDISPENSABLE VIRTUES

that lead the aspirant to Divinity.

 

Men who are FULLY EQUIPPED with ALL these Divine qualities are RARE

INDEED.

 

(Adapted from the translation of Bhagavadgita by Swami Chidbhavananda

of Sri Ramakrishna Mission)

 

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'brahma praapti-patha jnaana hai, paramatma-patha yoga,

krishna praapti-patha bhakti hai, adhikaari saba loga'

 

'Jnana' is the PATH to REALIZE BRAHMAN and

'Yoga' is the PATH to ATTAIN PARAMATMA.

 

'Bhakti' Divine Love, is the Path to ATTAIN Bhagavan,

Lord Krishna and each and every ONE is ELIGIBLE to

follow this Path, UNLIKE the other TWO which impose

severe restrictions on the sadhaka (seeker)

even for the qualification and eligibility.

 

(Bhakti Shatak, Verse- 25, Jagadguru Sri Kripaluji Maharaj)

 

For reading and listening to more of these sublime devotional verses

of 'Bhakti Shatak' set in soul-stirring melodious music, click

on 'Bhakti Shatak' at the web page URL given below:

 

http://www.jkp.org/home/home.html

 

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Please also read the message from Bhagavad Gita

previously posted on "Bhakti and Vedanta" thread at:

 

/message/3591

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!