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| SANTMAT
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| (Faith Of The Sants)
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| ESSENCE OF GITA-YOGA |
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| Chapter 4: Jnaana Karma Sanyaasa Yoga (The Yoga Of Knowledge, Action And Renunciation) |
This chapter deals with the Yoga of Knowledge, Action and Renunciation. It preaches to lead a life in the world abiding with knowledge, action and renunciation (abnegation).
Such kind of preaching had been coming from a very ancient time. First of all Lord Krishna preached it to the sun-god, the sun-god imparted it to his son Manu and Manu had conveyed this teaching to his son Ikshwaku. Thus it was kept us for a long time in the tradition of Rajarshi (royal sages). But by great efflux of time, it disappeared.
Lord Krishna revived this, imparting it to Pandava Arjuna.
The gist of this preaching runs as follows -
The beings have to keep on wandering innumerable times in the cycle of birth and death (transmigration). Ordinary people cannot remember of their past several births but a great yogi like Lord Krishna does. Ordinary people are born under the influence of 'Maya' (Nature, Illusion) while a great yogi is born to perform the duties of the world, keeping 'Maya' under his control. Such a great yogi was Lord Krishna. Such a great man with realization of Self knows his Self directly as unborn and imperishable. Those who are born to perform the duties of the world, keeping Maya under their control, their births and acts should be known as divine birth and divine acts. One who knows such kind of birth and action in reality is not born again (for its full knowledge can not be obtained without self-realization. Only intellectual knowledge is not the perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge is defined as attaining to completion in all the four parts of knowledge viz. hearing, contemplation, practice and experience. Without having knowledge through experience in Samaadhi self-realization can not be attained).
In chapter 7 sloka 24, the Shrimadbhagawadgita regards them as deluded minds who recognizing not His super-sensuous existence, know only the manifest or physical form. How can it be possible that a man of deluded mind can know of the divine birth and action of Lord Krishna and attain salvation from the cycle of birth and death. The devotees merge in God becoming pure with the penance of wisdom and devoid of passion to the objects of senses, fear and anger. One can only be mature and ripe in all the four parts of knowledge viz. hearing, contemplation, practice and experience. With whatsoever desire one takes shelter of God, attains accordingly the fruit from Him, either becoming an aspirant of salvation or a seeker of this world and heaven etc. Salvation cannot be attained through the worship of different gods.
The four orders of society (viz. Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra) have been formed by God according to their corresponding qualities and actions, still God remains non-doer. He is ever untouched with the actions.
He, who knows God perfectly in the reality, is not bound by action. The devotees who have the perception of only the gross physical body, not of His super-sensuous self-existence cannot attain such kind of knowledge and be free from the bondage of action. Those who have realized God have led their lives performing their duties in the world. Everyone should follow them. Even the wise cannot discriminate between what is Karma (action) and Akarma (inaction).
The secret of Karma (action), Vikarma (prohibited action) and Akarma (inaction) is worth-knowing. The mystery about Karma and Akarma is to see inaction in action and action in inaction. Such kind of mysterious doer should be known as wise, doer of all duties and a yogi, a great yogi who has realized his Self lives without action in action. But he, who is not perfect in such kind of knowledge, is a false boaster (hypocrite) of being without action and is called as the doer of action in inaction. At the same time, he too is a hypocrite who leaving the outward action runs mentally after the objects of senses. He alone is known as 'Pandita' (seer) who has attained the perfect knowledge of Self. He is free from all the beginnings, desires and resolutions. All his actions are burnt up in the fire of knowledge. He is the renouncer of the fruit of action, of the desire to get shelter of some one and is ever content. He remains non-doer even while engaged in the duties of the world.
In the Ramayana of Tulsidas, it has been mentioned, "Can there be action after realization of Self?"
Such kind of man attains full control over mind. He is devoid of aversion and dualism (like joy and grief) and so remains 'even' in success and failure. He performs the duties for the sake of sacrifices that is, for others' good. He sees all his activities as Brahma. The sacrifice, its very equipment, ladle, oblation, fire, the sacrificer - all of those are Brahma. Such kind of perceptive knowledge do not come without the realized knowledge of the Supreme. A man having only hearing, contemplation and emotion can never attain the said kind of knowledge. He alone attain Brahma who so sees Brahma in actions.
Sacrificers are of various types. Some sacrifice is the form of God-worshipping (This sacrifice is completed only when the worshipper has the direct perception of the self-existence of that God.), Others sacrifice in the form of sense-control (This sacrifice is performed only when the streams of consciousness flowing in the senses are concentrated to their center.), Others sacrifice as sacrificing sound and other objects into the fire of senses (by concentrating the streams of consciousness making them introvert towards their center). By so doing inner or divine light is enkindled. In this land of divine light, inner sound is ever sounding. As if, the oblation of those subtle objects were being poured in that light-fire and burnt up. Others sacrifice the functions of senses and the functions of the vital airs into the Fire of Yoga in the form of self-control burning in the shape of the Lamp of Knowledge, which is kindled by the Wisdom. [The functions of senses and vital air are due to the streams of consciousness flowing in them. When these streams of consciousness are concentrated to their center through inner practice, the Lamp of Knowledge is kindled. Sant Tulsi Sahab said, "As the lamp lights the temple so illumines the light within." This must be the light of Fire of Yoga. A practitioner attaining such light or sacrificer of such sacrifice becomes the self-restrainer perfectly.]
Some perform sacrifice in the form of charity of money for beneficence, some in the form of penance, some through the practice of Yoga, some through the study of sacred texts, some perform the sacrifice of wisdom (that is, the sacrifice of receiving the teachings of wisdom and of imparting them to others). There are the sacrifices who observe austere vows and are striving souls. One who is given to the practice of Yoga, some through the study of sacred texts, some perform the sacrifice of wisdom (that is, the sacrifice of receiving the teachings of wisdom and of imparting them to others). These are the sacrificers who observe austere vows and are striving souls. One who is given to the practice of 'Pranaayaam' (breath-control) controlling the course both of 'praana' and 'apaana' (upward and downward breath) airs, pour his apaana air into praana and praana air into apaana. (This sacrifice can also be performed if the consciousness becomes stable in 'Sushumnaa' (the spinal chord) through the practice of 'Drishti-Yoga' (the Yoga by eye-sight or of vision) or pour life breath into life breath regulating diet and practicing of starting on the 'naasaagra' (secret point ahead nose, also called Aajnaa-chakra, Tisra til, third eye, Bindu, one-pointedness) as have been said in chapter VI. (that is, concentrating the stream of consciousness flowing in senses through 'Drishti Yoga' or pouring life-breath into life-breath in the form of joining the streams of consciousness flowing in the work-organs with those in the senses. The lack of regularity in diet brings failure in the said practice of Yoga. This regularity has been described inevitable in chapter VI. When the streams of consciousness flowing in both of the eyesights achieve one-pointedness becoming unified through 'Drishti Yoga' (the yoga of vision) the streams of consciousness flowing in the senses being gravitated to this point get unified. Thus the life-breath is sacrified into life-breath.
But a rare devotee in the shelter of 'Satguru' (true spiritual preceptor) know and practises it. The fire in such yogic sacrifice comes out in the form of the Supreme Brahma (Absolute). The sacrificer has then and only then the perfect knowledge of the Self. All other sacrifices performed by him are poured naturally in the fire of the Supreme as oblation. Such kind of sacrificer achieves actionlessness.
Can there be action after realizing Self?
He rises beyond the state of ego. Remaining firm in this state, he is a non-doer even though he performs his duties of the world. This kind of sacrificer burns his sins (all the bondage of actions) into ashes through the said sacrifice. The nectar as remaining of the sacrifice enables to attain the Supreme, whosoever tastes it. The supreme is attained by such sacrificer and he satisfies his needs with the remaining of wealth spent for the good of others or spent for sacrifices. For him, who does not offer sacrifice, this world is painful. How can he attain salvation and happiness in afterworld?
The sacrifice of knowledge is superior to all material sacrifices. The entire sphere of action terminates in perfect knowledge. This kind of knowledge should be learnt from the wise, who is aware of the knowledge of self-reality, prostrating before and rendering services to him and questioning him with a guileless heart.
Such kind of wise sees in himself and in the Supreme the whole panorama of the universe. This knowledge is not only intellectual but attained directly through experience, after hearing, contemplating and practicing, in the state of Samaadhi (metaphysical trance). A spiritual practitioner begins to see the whole panorama of the universe in course of practicing meditation for a long time. In the long run, he attains the realized knowledge of his own self and with that of the Supreme as well. The sacrifice of knowledge ends here. The spiritual practitioner becomes free from pains for ever being devoid of body, birth and death, and attaining the freedom of Absolute Brahma. Even greater than the greatest sinner passes across the river of sin on the boat of perfect knowledge. All sins are burnt up in the fire of perfect knowledge. Nothing in the world is so pure as knowledge. The perfection of knowledge is not merely in hearing and contemplation So it is attainable in its perfectness through the inner spiritual practice at its ultimate state only within oneself. One who has conquered senses, is noble-hearted and is a devotee of God, attains the Absolute Peace gaining such kind of knowledge. A man devoid of knowledge and faith and possessed of doubts goes to ruin. That is, he remains laid deep in the painful world. He gets peace and happiness neither here nor in the world hereafter. He, who is wise through the practice of yoga and a non-doer even when engaged in the duties of the world, becomes free from doubts and bondage of action. So everyone should take resort to yoga destroying by the sword of knowledge the doubts brought forth by the ignorance of heart and be ready to do the duties of the world. It is, indeed, desirable to perform the duties of the world, disinterestedly, not to leave them, being engaged in the practice of yoga consisting of the wisdom acquired by hearing and contemplation.
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Santmat — Victory To All The Sants |
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