|| Shree Hari ||
Everyone is Equally Entitled to Liberation
मुक्तिमें सबका समान अधिकार
continued......
Not only that, the worst of worst sinners too can become eligible for devotion and love of God ‒
अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक् ।
साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः
सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः ॥
क्षिप्रं भवति धर्मात्मा शश्वच्छान्तिं निगच्छति ।
कौन्तेय प्रतिजानीहि न मे भक्तः प्रणश्यति ॥
Api chetsuduraachaaro bhajate maamanaya bhaak |
Saadhureva sa mantavyah samyagvyavsito hi saha ||
ksipram bhavati dharamaatmaa sasvacchaantim nigacchati,
kaunteya pratijaaneehi na
me bhaktah pranasyati.
"Even if the vilest of sinner worships Me with exclusive devotion, he should be considered a saint in as much as he has rightly resolved. Speedily, he becomes virtuous and secures lasting peace. Know it for certain, Arjuna, that My devotee never falls. "
It means that being a fraction (ansh) of God, all beings
are themselves entitled, independent and capable of turning towards (becoming inclined to) God and to realize Him. Every being is itself always an embodiment of purity, knowledge, and liberated ‒‘अयमात्मा ब्रह्म’,‘तत्त्वमसि’ ‘ayamaatma brahma’
“tattvamasi” Therefore all beings are entitled to enlightenment, liberation and capable on their own.”
To regard men of a particular “varna”, ashram (stage of life) etc. as being entitled to
enlightenment, and men of a certain “varna” and “ashram” as not being entitled - this does not appear to be legitimate and in accordance to the scriptures. Rise and fall can take place in all varna-ashram. Man of every varna-ashram can attain enlightenment. Not only that, he can also become entitled to give knowledge pertaining to enlightenment ‒
प्राप्य ज्ञानं ब्राह्मणात् क्षत्रियाद्
वा
वैश्याच्छूद्रादपि नीचादभीक्ष्याम् ।
श्रद्धातव्यं श्रद्द्धानेन नित्यं
न श्रद्धिनं जन्ममृत्यू विशेताम् ॥
(महा॰ शान्ति॰ ३१८ । ८०)
‘Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya, Shudra or men born of lower “varna” too if they can get knowledge, then on attaining it, man should always
have faith in it. He who has faith within himself, for such a man, birth and death does not enter him. ’
For the attainment of knowledge, the exemplifying Ved Vyasji’s son Sukhdevji, went to King Janak. He went to six Rishis for attaining Brahmavidya (divine knowledge) went to Maharaj Ashvapati. Related to this event, Shankracharya Maharajji’s following words are worth paying attention to ‒
‘यत एवं महाशाला महाश्रोत्रिया ब्राह्मणाः सन्तो महाशालत्वाद्यभिमान हित्वा समिद्भारहस्ता जातितो हीनं राजानं विद्यार्थिनो विनयेनोपजग्मुः’ (छान्दोग्य॰ ५ । ११ । ७ का भाष्य) ।
‘In this manner, in spite of being the great householder and eternal listener Brahmin, he leaves the pride of the great householder, and becoming a student, went humbly to the king who was from a different “jaati”. Therefore those men who desire to learn the Brahmnavidya, too should also be like this.”
From book ‘Tattva Gyaan Kaise Ho?’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji