there is no difference between bhakti and jnana

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Day by Day with Bhagavan________22-11-45 AfternoonDr. Srinivasa Rao told the Swami, "I have heard from one,who said he saw it, that when Bhagavan was in Skandasramam,a snake once crept over his body." Bhagavan said, "Snakes raisetheir hoods and look into our eyes and they seem to know whenthey need not be afraid, and then they pass over us. It did notstrike me either that I should do anything to it."Later Bhagavan said, "Even though we usually describethe reality as Sat, Chit, Ananda, even that is not quite a correctdescription. It cannot really be described. By this descriptionall that we endeavour to make plain is that it is not asat, thatit is not jada and that it is free from all pain."Again Bhagavan said, "We are all in reality Sat-Chit-Ananda.But we imagine we are bound and are having all these pains."I asked, "Why do we imagine so? Why does thisignorance or ajnana come to us?"Bhagavan said, "Enquire to whom has this ignorancecome and you will find it never came to you and that youhave always been that Sat-Chit-Ananda. One performs all sortsof penances to become what one already is. All effort is simplyto get rid of this viparita buddhi or mistaken impression thatone is limited and bound by the woes of samsara."Later Bhagavan said, "The spark of jnana will easilyconsume all creation as if it were a mountain-heap of cotton.All the crores of worlds being built upon the weak (or no)foundation of the ego, they all topple down when the atomicbomb of jnana comes down upon them." Bhagavan said, "Alltalk of surrender is like pinching jaggery from the jaggeryimage of Lord Ganesa and offering it as naivedya to the sameLord Ganesa. You say you offer your body, soul and allpossessions to God. Were they yours that you could offerthem? At best, you can only say, `I falsely imagined till nowthat all these which are yours (God's) were mine. Now I realisethey are yours. I shall no more act as if they are mine.' Andthis knowledge that there is nothing but God or Self, that Iand mine don't exist and that only the Self exists, is jnana."He added, "Thus there is no difference between bhakti andjnana. Bhakti is jnana mata or mother of jnana."Talking of the innumerable ways of different seekers afterGod, Bhagavan said, "Each should be allowed to go his ownway, the way for which alone he may be built. It will not do toconvert him to another path by violence. The Guru will gowith the disciple in his own path and then gradually turn himinto the supreme path at the ripe moment. Suppose a car isgoing at top speed. To stop it at once or to turn it at oncewould be attended by disastrous consequences."The talk then turned to the names of God and Bhagavansaid, "Talking of all mantras, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishadsays `AHAM' is the first name of God. The first letter in Sanskritis A (non-english script) and the last letter Ha (n-e script) and `Aha' thus includeseverything from beginning to end. The word `Ayam' means thatwhich exists, Self-shining and Self-evident. `Ayam', `Atma',`Aham', all refer to the same thing. In the Bible also, `I AM' isgiven as the name of God."