Karma,jn~Ana and bhakti Yogas (Was: nyAsa-vidyA ([What is 'tapas'?]))

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SrI:

SrI Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaH

SrImatE nigamAnta mahAdESikAya namaH

 

namO nArAyaNa!

 

Dear SrI Hari,

 

Thanks one again for your article. The explanations on karma,

jn~Ana and bhakti yOga closely follows the original texts like a

translation of the SrImad RTS section as you have already

mentioned.

 

But, there are many words and phrases in SRTS that are heavily

loaded in import. Especially in these texts in context, even

vidvAns make some slips. The explanations on these yogas have

very subtle and important inner meanings. SrImad UttamUr SwAmi

has made many brilliant clarifications in his commentary.

aDiyEn would like to share a few here.

 

> Karma-yOga: After getting jIva-paramAthma-yAthAthmya-jgnyAna (true

> knowledge about the nature of jIvathma and paramAthma) through the SAstra,

> doing the nithya-naimithika karmas (daily and especial duties) and

> pala-sangAdirahitha-kAmya-karmas (karmas without association of

> result-expectation) along with saniyama-parigruhItha-karma-viSEsham

> (special karma in an orderly manner) is known as karma-yOga.

 

Karma yOga is only those that you have quoted from SwAmi DESikan's

originals viz. " saniyamAgap parigruhItamA-irukkum karma viSEsham " .

They are stated in RTS itself : The list of karmas

as given in SrI Bhagavad GIta viz. yaj~na, tIrtha yAtra, dAna,

prANAyAma etc.

 

The meaning of " saniyama..... " is that any " one " of these

types of karmas should be performed with the sankalpam

for getting jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram, regularly without alteration to

some other karma. This is the Karma Yoga.

 

Nitya-naimittika karmas and phala ....kAmya karmas mentioned

in SrImad RTS originals do not convey that they are " Karma Yoga "

as such. They only aid karma yOga - Or for that matter aid even

bhakti yOga and those who perform prapatti as sAdhyOpAyam.

 

 

> JgnyAna-yOga: If a person gets antha: karaNa jayam (sense organs, manas

> conquered) by the practice of above mentioned karma-yOga, he has to

> continuously contemplate on the jIvathma-swarUpa, which is distinguished

> from prakruthi-indriya-prANa etc and characterised by AadhEyathvam,

> vidhEyathvam and SEshatvam being the SarIra and hence prakAra

> (apruthak-sidhda-viSEshaNam) of SrIman NArAyaNa. If a person gets

> jIvAthmAvalOkanam through jgnyAna-yOga or karma-yOga, must not waste his

> time in jIvAthmAvalOkana-anubhavam, which is very limited and inferior.

> If he is blessed, he gets intense desire to have the anubhavam of

> BhagavAn SrIman NArAyaNa who is the antaryAmi. He then proceeds for

> practising bhakti-yOga.

 

In jn~Ana yoga, the continuous Cintana <rememberance>

on aadhEyatva et al reg sArIratvam of a jIvAtma is " not " there.

The SrImad RTS originals state those viSEshanas for characterizing

the jIvAtma swaroopa and not for characterizing the object of

Cintana in jn~Ana yoga. Only the jn~Anatvam, aanandatvam and

amalatvam characteristics of the jIvAtma are to be continuously

remembered upon. This is only jn~Ana Yoga.

 

After a particular stage of perfection, one should perform

the dhyAna-yOga as prescribed in gIta with appropriate aasana and

indriya pratyAhAra. This is meditation on the jIvAtma swaroopam

with above characteristics, and this leads to jIvAtmalOkanam ie.

jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram; This is dhyAna ie.meditation with aasana

etc different from " mere Cintana " .

 

Alternatively, one can by-pass the jn~yAna yoga and directly

perform this dhyAna-yOga for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram, after having

attained a very good perfection in the karma yoga. This is

possible because while performing karma-yoga one has to do it

with the knowledge of being a jIvAtma with the above

characteristics remembered in jn~yAna yOga. Though it will not

be a continuous rememberance of the jIvAtma characteristics as

in jn~Ana yOga, the sheer practise of karma yoga will make one

fit enough for performing dhyAna-yOga to obtain jIvAtma

sAkshAtkAram. Infact, Lord KrishNa instructs one to prefer

karma yoga route by itself for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram over the

karma yoga followed by jn~Ana yoga route. PerumAL states some

appropriate reasons also ....Easy to perform/practise, we are

very much used to performing activities, lOka kshEmam ie. others

will follow your anushThAnams etc.

 

In the SRTS text, " ...ik-karma-yogam jn~Ana-yoga-tthai

iDaiyittum iDai-iDAdEyum saparikara-mAna yoga-tthai koNDu

aatmAvalOkanasAdhanam-Am " , the phrase " saparikara-mAna

yoga-tthai koNDu " refers to the dhyAna yoga. It means

" Karma Yoga becomes a sAdhana (means) for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram

through the saparikara-yoga < ie.dhyAna-yoga with aasanam,

prANAyAmam and pratyAhAram> either with or without jn~Ana yoga

as an intermediate " .

 

In the SRTS text " ik karma-yOga jn~Ana-yoga-N~gaLAlE

yoga-mukhattAlE aatmAvalOkanam piRandAl ...... " , the term

" yoga-mukhattAlE " refers to this dhyAna-yOga, the meeting

point of karma and jn~Ana yoga routes for attaining jIvAtma

sAkshAtkAram as jn~AnAnanda swaroopa and being blemishless.

 

The characteristic of being a SarIra to paramAtma is meditated

upon only in the bhakti-yoga. JIvAtma sAkshAtkAram is thus a

pre-requisite for bhakti-yOga since meditation on SarIratvam of

a jIvAtma comes after sAkshAtkAram of what a jIvAtma is <ie.

sAkshAtkAram of jIvAtma swaroopam>. That is why, a pit-fall is

there in this " jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram " stage. One might get

attracted by the high degree of aananda experienced in this

sAkshAtkAram <note: SarIratvam /seshatvam is not an object of

sAkshAtkAram of this meditation> and get stagnated without

proceeding onto bhakti-yoga. These yogis proceed to kaivalya

(after which they will perform bhakti yoga ; ie. after their

sins for starting the bhakti yoga gets eradicated).

 

Note: Even before performing karma yoga one knows the true

nature of jIvAtma, paramAtma etc through kAlakshEpam from an

AchArya. This attainment of knowledge is not jn~Ana yoga (ref

the above definition). Further, acquairance of this general

knowledge is different from meditation on certain limited

characteristics of jIvAtma etc. Those who attain kaivalya

also knows Sastra thoroughly and during the time prior to even

their start of karma yoga, they knew SAstras very well.It is only

the extensive aananda obtained in jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram of this

aanandamaya swaroopa that causes their pitfall. By the way,

for everyone in general they themselves are their own dearmost.

It is easily evident since all the activities are performed for

one's welfare. Even a suicide is performed by some to get rid

of some present problem => Inherently, everyone likes themselves

the most.

 

Anyway, when some gets attracted to materialistic things like

Cinema, Coffee etc (though they don't want to get addicted in

heart, still they prefer unfortunately) even with the knowledge

of SAstras, it is understandable that a yogi gets attracted by

jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram, though he has prior knowledge that

paramAtma sAkshAtkAram is the goal to be attained.

 

> This

> has the varNAsrama-dharmAnushtAnams as its accessories for removal of

> pApA, which leads to rajas-tamas guNas. The sAtvika-tyAga-rUpa

> dharmAnushtAnams increases sAtvika-guNa. This is para-bhakti. This makes

> the upAsaka to have immense love to see the Lord. This leads to

> para-jgnyAnam, which is thath-kAla-niyatha-paripUrNa-sAkshAthkAram. This

> culminates into parama-bhakti, where the upAsaka develops highest love

> such that he realises that he cannot continue to live if the sAkshAthkAram

> is not in totality and eternity. He pleads to mahAlakshmI and SrIman

> NArAyaNa such that the Lord SrIman NArAyaNa cannot refuse the upAsaka and

> has to grant the moksha. Such is the bhakti-yOga.

 

One important siddhAnta is that during para-jn~Anam, only the

darSana-samAna sAkshAtkAram occurs ie. not actual sAkshAtkAram

but mental image of Lord acquired by his yoga attains a very

good stage, which is similar to the actual suddha-satva thirumEni

viSishta SrIman nArAyaNa, but not the same.

 

There are many more subtle issues in bhakti yoga and other yogas,

which can be understood from the writings of PUrvAchAryas.

 

 

AzhwAr,EmperumAnAr,DESikan,Azhagiyasingar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

KOmAndUr ELayavilli anantapadmanAbhan.

krishNArpaNam