Beholding God Everywhere
(cont'd)
In the path of knowledge (Jnana maarg) it has been said that whatever is seen, heard, thought about, is all deception, it is unreal "maya" -
Kim bhadram kimbhadram va daivatasyaavastunah kiyat |
Vaachoditam tadanrutam manasa dhyaataameva cha || (Srimad Bhagwat 11/28/4)
All the things in the world can be described with speech and can be thought with the mind; thus it is all unreal. When there is nothing at all such as Duality "dwait" then what is good and what is bad?
"Dekhia sunia gunia mana maahin |
Moha mool paramaarathu naahin || (Manas, Ayodhyaakaand 12/4)
Na tadasti pruthivyaam vaa divi deveshu va punah |
Satvam prakrutijairmuktam yadebhih syaatribhirdunaih || (Gita 18/40)
There is no being on earth nor even among the gods in heaven, that is free, from the three modes, born of nature (prakrti).
However in the path of Devotion, it says that whatever is seen, heard, or thought about etc. that all is God only -
Manasa vachasa drushtvaa gruhyatenyairpeendriyai |
Ahameva na mattonyaditi budhyadhvamanjasaa || (Srimad Bhagwat 11/13/24)
Through the mind, speech, and other senses, whatever is perceived, all that is Me and beyond Me there is nothing else – you should quickly understand i.e. accept this doctrine.
Jada chetan jag jeev jat sakal ramamai jaani (Manas, Baalkand 7)
Na tadasti vinaa yatsyaanmaya bhootam charaacharam (Gita 10/39)
There is no creature animate or inanimate, that can exist without Me. (Gita 10/39)
The point is that in the path of Jnana (knowledge), everything is in the form of nature and in the path of Bhakti, everything is in the form of God.
The path of knowledge is useful in renouncing the insentient, and Path of Bhakti is useful in love of God. In path of knowledge, God permeates the world - "Yena sarvamidam tatam" (Gita 2/17), Ishavasyamidam sarvam" (Isha. 1) and in path of bhakti, God Itself is in the form of this world - "Vasudeva sarvam (Gita 7/19). In Path of Knowledge, activity is going on in nature, it is all an interplay of the modes - "Guna guneshu vartante" (Gita 3/28) and in Path of Bhakti, It is God playing with Himself. i.e. it is His divine play - "Yo maam paschyati sarvatra, sarvam cha mayi pashyati" (Gita 6/30). In the path of knowledge, an aspirant remains situated in his "self", while in the path of Bhakti, the aspirant surrenders himself to the Lord, and becomes a lover of God. God is hungry for love, not for knowledge. A bhakta loves God and God loves the bhakta; thus there is every moment every increasing love within them.
(to be continued……)