Progress in spiritual quest

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Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya !!

 

The Bhagavad Gita contains the essence of the Upanishads wherein knowledge of

the Supreme Brahman and the means by which this knowledge can be attained are

clearly spelt out. It is emphasised that mere knowledge on the spiritual aspects

is of no avail if one continues to be attached to worldly life.

 

The means to attain this knowledge is through practice of austerities such as

meditation and concentration by which the mind is purified and by cultivating

great faith and devotion to the Almighty.

The Lord says that among thousands of men scarcely one strives for perfection,

and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the Lord as the Absolute

Truth. This knowledge is not comprehended with the aid of the senses, mind and

intellect. It is direct grasp of realisation and comes through rigorous

self-discipline. Since the ideal is high, the means to attaining it also remain

very challenging.

But every effort towards this goal is taken into account and slow progress is

effected by every individual Jivatma through various births. In this manner at

the end of many births the man of wisdom takes refuge in the Supreme Lord when

the realisation that Vasudeva is all dawns in him.

The story of Jadabharata illustrates this truth in addition to the tough demands

in this process. Even an enlightened soul like king Bharata succumbed to

attachment to an orphaned fawn and had to face the consequence of being born a

deer in his next birth. Though it appeared that his yoga was lost, the wisdom of

his previous birth permeated the consciousness of the deer and after exhausting

the time of life as a deer, he attained salvation.

The Lord’s Maya is difficult to transcend and it is said that once Sage

Narada, desirous of knowing its power, was made to experience its delusory

effects when he lived the life of a householder. The Lord says that this Maya

made up of Gunas is hard to surmount, and those who wish to do so, can, by

taking refuge in Him.

Lord Krishna assures all that each one according to his perseverance in the

previous birth is born in a suitable family to pursue the quest.

 

Om Namo Narayanaya !!