Tag Karma Yoga

Knowledge No Help In Salvation Bhaja Govindam Sankaracharya

Adi Sankaracharya,as Rajaji puts it in his introduction to MS rendering of The Bhaja Govindam,who drank the nectar of Knowledge as one wold a sip of water from one's palm, extols the virtues of Bhakti in his famous song/sloka Bhaja Govinda,(Repeat 'Govinda', a Name of Lord Vishnu)

Adi Shankaracharya, he proponent of Advaita, Non Dualism, is one who seems to advocate Gnana Yoga, The Path Of Yoga.

He also advocates Karma Yoga, in his Brahma Sutra Bhashya.

He assigns a great importance to the understanding of The Reality, Gnana Yoga.

But Sankaracharaya, who is such an ardent protagonist of the Path of Knowledge, reverts to bhakti in his Bhaja Govindam.

It is, as decreed in the scriptures,, rare to be born a Human being, where limited Freedom Of Choice if offered to realize Godhood.

Depending on one's mental attitude and dispositions. various paths for realizing Godhood are proposed in Hinduism.

They are,

Gnana Yoga, The Path of Knowledge,

Karma Yoga , The Path of Action,

Raja Yoga, The Path of Physical and Mental Disciple, and

Bhakti Yoga, The path of Surrender to God.

Think Out Your Emotions

I have started writing on Yoga Sutra of Patanjali about 16 days back.

Then suddenly I decided to write on Isa Upanishad a couple of Days back.

While dealing with the Isavasya(Isa Upanishad) Upanishad, I thought of writing on performing Actions without attachment in detail.

Some how it got postponed.

Now I find that Isa Upanishad also speaks on the subject in the sloka I have commented upon.

Hence I decided not to postpone this subject and this post.

(As I was writing on Isa Upanishad, I wanted to write on Nirvana Shadgam of Adi Sankaracarya. I misplaced the Text ; I found it to-day and posts will follow)

Action arises out of desires,

Desires of Feelings,

Feelings of satisfaction of instincts.

We can not help acting on our instincts. they are our Swabhava,Nature' impelled by Gunas.(Refer my posts on Yoga sutra nd Gunas)

We continue seeking the objects that give us satisfaction and happiness.

When we interact with the Object for the first time, we do not have a preconceived notion that it would give us Pleasure.

We come to know of it after we experience them.

So the feelings of Joy oy pain do not reside in the object but in our perception of OUR enjoyment of them.

To remain detached, it is useless to address the issue to these objects, but we need to address the instrument of enjoyment, ourselves.

If we can think out our experiences after our experience of the Object, we will be able to outwit our propensity for enjoyment.

Mere removal of Objects will not drive way your desires, they will haunt your memory and your mind will seek them.

Remaining amidst sense Objects and remain unaffected is true renunciation.

There is this story of Rishyasrunga , a Great Seer, in Ramayana.

Rishyasrunga was a Celibate, A Naishtika Brahmachari.

A Niashtika Brahmachari is one whose semen does not flow downwards, that is, it is not discharged.