॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
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The path is quite simply stated.
मायामात्रमिदं ज्ञात्वा ज्ञानं च मयि सन्न्यसेत्
"After understanding that this world of material experience is simply created by Maya, surrender even that knowledge and the intellect in me, I.e. Bhagavan. "
That perfection which is produced by a small fraction of this kind of spiritual knowledge cannot be acquired by performing austerities, visiting holy places, chanting silent prayers, giving in charity or engaging in other pious activities.
So Bhagavan says,
तस्माज्ज्ञानेन सहितं ज्ञात्वा स्वात्मानमुद्धव । ज्ञानविज्ञानसम्पन्नो भज मां भक्तिभावत: ॥
T: "Therefore, dear Uddhava, through this knowledge, know your Atma, and then, endowed with knowledge and insight of the Self, pray to me full of Bhakti."
But Uddhava is in a critical situation.
दष्टं जनं सम्पतितं बिलेऽस्मिन्का लाहिना क्षुद्रसुखोरुतर्षम् । समुद्धरैनं कृपयापवर्ग्यैर्वचोभिरासिञ्च महानुभाव ॥
T: "Oh, great Lord! What I see in everyone is that we have fallen into a dark hole of worldliness, and are bitten by the terrible venomous snake called Kaala or Time (that makes us spin eternally in the cyle of suffering). Indeed, we are hankering after the most trivial pleasures here thinking they will give us bliss!
So kindly tell me how to get that knowledge that drives me out of this hole and makes me a true seeker of liberation!"
Bhagavan answers that this was exactly the question Yudhishthira posed to Bhishma after the Mahabharata war. Sri Krishna was present there and he will paraphrase Bhsihma's answer.
There is Jnana and then there is Vijnana. That knowledge which gives a clear understanding that this world of material experience is a combination of elements, senses, mind, ego, organs of action, the energies, Gunas carried forward that drive man, and so on, which are twenty-eight elements in all, is Jnana. Vijnana takes one a step higher, as it gives an insight into Atma, the Paramatma that dwells in all. Once one realises one's true identity as the Atma, the process of surrender to the Lord as well as detachment from this world of material attachments begins.
श्रुति: प्रत्यक्षमैतिह्यमनुमानं चतुष्टयम् । प्रमाणेष्वनवस्थानाद् विकल्पात् स विरज्यते ॥
T: One can develop detachment by getting true knowledge, based on four types of evidence — Vedic knowledge, one's direct experience, traditional wisdom and logical induction. This makes one understand the temporary, insubstantial situation of the material world. Once we recognise how transient all worldly experiences are, full of dualities also, we become detached from the duality of this world.
Let us also open our eyes to the reality of what we can acquire by striving here. Even up to Brahma Loka, all the acquisitions and enjoyments are transient and finally make us unhappy.
Indeed, a wise man can understand that just as everything he has seen is temporary, similarly, all things within the universe have a beginning and an end.
The path of Bhakti is the one that takes one out of this cycle of running after transient and eventually unhappy experiences.
मदर्थेऽर्थपरित्यागो भोगस्य च सुखस्य च । इष्टं दत्तं हुतं जप्तं मदर्थं यद् व्रतं तप: ॥
एवं धर्मैर्मनुष्याणामुद्धवात्मनिवेदिनाम् । मयि सञ्जायते भक्ति: कोऽन्योऽर्थोऽस्यावशिष्यते ॥
T: The Bhakti paradigm is one in which the seeker dwells, constantly immersing himself in thoughts of the Lord, His Leelas, and cultivating the right company of Bhaktas and Bhagavatas. This will make one do everything we call spiritual practice, e.g. renouncing material attachment, sense pleasures, charity, chanting, keeping vows of fasting, - all these Dharmic activities should be nothing but expressions of complete surrender of himself by the seeker to the Lord. When this Bhakti is deep-rooted, nothing else matters.
धर्मो मद्भक्तिकृत् प्रोक्तो ज्ञानं चैकात्म्यदर्शनम् । गुणेष्वसङ्गो वैराग्यमैश्वर्यं चाणिमादय: ॥
T: Simple definitions!
Dharma = What fosters Bhakti.
Jnana = What makes one see the Paramatma in all.
Vairagya = Detachment from the forces of Gunas.
Aishwarya (spiritual wealth) = True spiritual Siddhis.
Uddhava now wants to know what are the real activities categorised in spiritual parlance as Yama, Niyama and so on. These come in all works of Sanatana Dharma including Yoga, Jnana and Bhakti literature as essential for purifying the body and mind of a seeker. Bhagavan gives the definitions.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयमसङ्गो ह्रीरसञ्चय: । आस्तिक्यं ब्रह्मचर्यं च मौनं स्थैर्यं क्षमाभयम् ॥
शौचं जपस्तपो होम: श्रद्धातिथ्यं मदर्चनम् । तीर्थाटनं परार्थेहा तुष्टिराचार्यसेवनम् ॥
एते यमा: सनियमा उभयोर्द्वादश स्मृता: । पुंसामुपासितास्तात यथाकामं दुहन्ति हि ॥
T:
Bhagavan said: Yama (यम)
- Nonviolence, truthfulness, not coveting or stealing the property of others, detachment, humility, freedom from possessiveness, trust in the principles of Dharma, celibacy, silence, steadiness, forgiveness and fearlessness are the twelve primary disciplinary principles.
- Internal cleanliness, external cleanliness, chanting the holy names of the Lord, austerity, sacrifice, faith, hospitality to guests, worship of Bhagavan, visiting holy places, acting and desiring only for the supreme goal, a sense of well-being and contentment, and service to the Guru are the twelve elements of regular prescribed duties.
These twenty-four elements bestow all desired benedictions upon those persons who devotedly cultivate them.
शमो मन्निष्ठता बुद्धेर्दम इन्द्रियसंयम: । तितिक्षा दु:खसम्मर्षो जिह्वोपस्थजयो धृति: ॥
दण्डन्यास: परं दानं कामत्यागस्तप: स्मृतम् । स्वभावविजय: शौर्यं सत्यं च समदर्शनम् ॥
अन्यच्च सुनृता वाणी कविभि: परिकीर्तिता । कर्मस्वसङ्गम: शौचं त्याग: सन्न्यास उच्यते ॥
धर्म इष्टं धनं नृणां यज्ञोऽहं भगवत्तम: । दक्षिणा ज्ञानसन्देश: प्राणायाम: परं बलम् ॥
T: Shama (शम)
- Absorbing the intelligence in Bhagavan constitutes mental equilibrium, and complete discipline of the senses is self-control.
- Tolerance means patiently enduring unhappiness, and steadfastness occurs when one conquers the tongue and genitals (speech and sexual activity).
- The greatest charity is to give up all aggression toward others, and renunciation of lust is understood to be real austerity.
- Real heroism is to conquer one’s natural tendency to enjoy material life, and
- True perception is seeing Bhagavan everywhere.
- Truthfulness means to speak the truth in a pleasing way, as declared by great sages. Cleanliness is detachment in fruitive activities, whereas renunciation is the Sannyasa order of life. The true desirable wealth for human beings is Dharma, and Bhagavan, is the true Yajna (this idea has come several times in earlier Skandhas).
- True Guru Dakshina is dedication to seeking the supreme truth, Pranayama confers the highest strength of body-mind.
Bhagavan repeats that Ishwara or the Supreme Lord is endowed with the six Bhagas.
नरकस्तमउन्नाहो बन्धुर्गुरुरहं सखे । गृहं शरीरं मानुष्यं गुणाढ्यो ह्याढ्य उच्यते ॥
दरिद्रो यस्त्वसन्तुष्ट: कृपणो योऽजितेन्द्रिय: । गुणेष्वसक्तधीरीशो गुणसङ्गो विपर्यय: ॥
एत उद्धव ते प्रश्ना: सर्वे साधु निरूपिता: । किं वर्णितेन बहुना लक्षणं गुणदोषयो: ।
गुणदोषदृशिर्दोषो गुणस्तूभयवर्जित: ॥
T: "Dear Uddhava, hell is the predominance of ignorance. I am everyone’s true friend, acting as the spiritual master of the entire universe, and one’s dwelling is the human body. My dear friend Uddhava, one who is enriched with good qualities is actually said to be rich, and one who is unsatisfied in life is actually poor. A wretched person is one who cannot control his senses, whereas one who is not attached to sense gratification is the real boss. One who attaches himself to sense gratification is the opposite, a slave."
"Thus, Uddhava, I have elucidated all of the matters about which you inquired. There is no need for a more elaborate description of these good and bad qualities, since to discuss constantly good and bad is itself a bad quality. The best quality is to transcend material good and evil and move on rather than be bogged down in these discussions!"
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