Some clarifications on BHAKTI

This is the 50th post on this blog. So, let me summarize few silent features of this blog on Yoga Vedanta and its relation to "BHAKTI"

1. If the reader is still interested in the "Bhoga" (consumption of an object =vishaya by its consumer sense organ =indriya) this blog will not be of much help to the reader. But it is not a waste; you will still understand the limitation of Bhoga; There is nothing wrong with Bhoga but it always need to be supported by the "productive work". Without productive work to create vishayas, the indriyas will not have the vishayas to consume them.

2. Only after completely understanding that One can never consume someone else's hard work (this is the divine law of karma - action) one should move on to the path of Yoga. Only this law of karma supports the multiple layers of universe (the multiverse) together in their respective positions.

3. Initially it is advised to "give up" the choice of fruits of action. Do not hanker for favorable results. Perform your action with utmost skill without harming anyone intentionally or unintentionally.

4. After attaining some amount of success in the karma phala tyaga, one is advised to give up the choice of action itself and leave it in the hands of LORD.

5. For such "surrender" one should have faith in LORD. If you are an atheist, just think about those days when you were a baby (of few days old) even before you started your logic and started demanding for proofs, LORD made sure your mother has milk to feed you. It is Lord's design that keeps everything here in their respective places. (that design is called DHARMA or Sanatana Dharma that holds everything eternally in their respective places by the law of Action)

6. An individual limited mind will not be able to understand the nature of LORD as long as his heart is not purified from the duality of attraction and repulsion. Karma Yoga helps purify the external nature of an Individual.

7. Only after a fair amount of success on controlling the external nature (& Desires) a striving YOGI can attempt controlling his internal nature called MIND (chittam). When the YOGI is suitably conditioned, LORD will show him a GURU to learn Raja Yoga.

8. Raja Yoga leads to mastering the internal nature called mind. Once the mind is purified, a striving Yogi becomes eligible for Higher Knowledge of LORD.

9. Lord offers the Higher Knowledge in suitable means to the Yogi. This "knowledge" is essential for direct realization of the LORD.

10. Only after directly realizing the nature of LORD, if the subtle impressions (vasanas) of work and desires are taking the YOGI back into the emotions like fear, passion etc., then the solution is the "BHAKTI" --> Devotion to the LORD.

11. In some special cases, a KARMA YOGI will be directly moved on to the BHAKTI YOGA if the "chittam" is sufficiently pure from passion and other emotions.

When LORD said, it is not by Vedas, not by Tapas, not by Gifts etc., one gets such a direct experience of LORD, it is not to reduce the importance of Vedas, Tapas etc., All the Vedas, Tapas etc., are required for those who are in "need" of them.

Without BHAKTI, the knowledge will not be fruitful. It just becomes destructive like "Atom Bombs" etc., and finally destroy the person who is attached to such dry knowledge devoid of LORD. Such a dry knowledge is confusing also. It will never be complete.

In Adhyatma Ramayanam, Lord RAMA states "Mad bhakti vimukhaanam hi sastra garteshu muhyataam" means, "One who is devoid of Bhakti will keep roaming around in the ditch dug by the sastras (sciences) deluded!"

So, with BHAKTI, the JNANA (knowledge) will become complete (purnam) and results in complete removal of ignorance (viveka khyati or sthita prajnata or in parA vairAgya). Adi Sankara Bhagavadpaada Acharya states in his Viveka Chudamani as follows:

मोक्ष​कारणसामग्र्यां भक्तिरेव गरीयसी |
स्वस्वरूपानुसन्धानं भक्तिरित्यभिधीयते ||

moksha kaarana saamagrayaam bhaktih eva gariiyasii
sva-svaruupa anusandhaanam bhaktih iti abhidhiiyate

In the saamagri for moksha, Bhakti is the highest and most important one.
Establishing in one's own true nature is called BHAKTI.

Hence, Bhakti is not an easy thing to do. It requires giving up of "sanga" (attachment) to worldly bhogas & vishayas and completely engaging all three layers of instruments called body, speech and mind in the service of LORD (the true self of the individual) as well as not having any feeling of "vaira" (enmity) to any being of this world.

From the next post onwards we will deal with most subtle aspects of Vedanta that are meant for the TRUE Bhaktas on the path of Yoga Vedanta!

om tat sat