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From: Anand K Karalapakkam (kgk_at_md2.vsnl.net.in)
Date: Fri Apr 05 2002 - 22:46:43 PST
SrI:
SrImatE rAmAnujAya namaH
SrImatE nigamAnta mahAdESikAya namaH
namO nArAyaNa!
Dear bhaktas,
The following was written by me many months back as
a reply to a devotee's question/explanations. Reproducing
the relevant part of that mail.....Sorry for not being able to
edit it appropriately.
-------------
Karma yOga is only those that you have quoted from SwAmi DESikan's
originals viz. "saniyamAgap parigruhItamA-irukkum karma viSEsham".
They are stated in RTS itself : The list of karmas
as given in SrI Bhagavad GIta viz. yaj~na, tIrtha yAtra, dAna,
prANAyAma etc.
The meaning of "saniyama....." is that any "one" of these
types of karmas should be performed with the sa~nkalpam
for getting jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram, regularly without alteration to
some other karma. This is the Karma Yoga.
Nitya-naimittika karmas and phala ....kAmya karmas mentioned
in SrImad RTS originals do not convey that they are "Karma Yoga"
as such. They only aid karma yOga - Or for that matter aid even
bhakti yOga and those who perform prapatti as sAdhyOpAyam.
In jn~Ana yoga, the continuous Cintana <rememberance>
on aadhEyatva et al reg SarIratvam of a jIvAtma is *not* there.
This very important point is missed by many scholars in their
writings as well as discourses. That gives rise to confusions as
well. SrI UtthamUr SwAmi has made brilliant contribution in this
regard.
The SrImad RTS originals state those viSEshanas for characterizing
the jIvAtma swaroopa and not for characterizing the object of
Cintana in jn~Ana yoga. Only the jn~Anatvam, aanandatvam and
amalatvam characteristics of the jIvAtma are to be continuously
remembered upon. This is only jn~Ana Yoga.
After a particular stage of perfection, one should perform
the dhyAna-yOga as prescribed in gIta (Ch 6) with appropriate
aasana and indriya pratyAhAra. This is meditation on the jIvAtma
swaroopam with above characteristics, and this leads to
jIvAtmalOkanam ie.jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram; This is dhyAna
ie.meditation with aasana etc different from "mere Cintana".
Alternatively, one can by-pass the jn~Ana yoga and directly
perform this dhyAna-yOga for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram, after having
attained a very good perfection in the karma yoga. This is
possible because while performing karma-yoga one has to do it
with the knowledge of being a jIvAtma with the above
characteristics remembered in jn~Ana yOga. Though it will not
be a continuous rememberance of the jIvAtma characteristics as
in jn~Ana yOga, the sheer practise of karma yoga will make one
fit enough for performing dhyAna-yOga to obtain jIvAtma
sAkshAtkAram. Infact, Lord KrishNa instructs one to prefer
karma yoga route by itself for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram over the
karma yoga followed by jn~Ana yoga route. PerumAL states some
appropriate reasons also ....Easy to perform/practise, we are
very much used to performing activities, lOka kshEmam ie. others
will follow your anushThAnams etc.
In the SRTS text, "...ik-karma-yogam jn~Ana-yoga-tthai
iDaiyittum iDai-iDAdEyum saparikara-mAna yoga-tthai koNDu
aatmAvalOkanasAdhanam-Am ", the phrase "saparikara-mAna
yoga-tthai koNDu" refers to the dhyAna yoga. It means
"Karma Yoga becomes a sAdhana (means) for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram
through the saparikara-yoga < ie.dhyAna-yoga with aasanam,
prANAyAmam and pratyAhAram> either with or without jn~Ana yoga
as an intermediate".
In the SRTS text "ik karma-yOga jn~Ana-yoga-N~gaLAlE
yoga-mukhattAlE aatmAvalOkanam piRandAl ......", the term
"yoga-mukhattAlE" refers to this dhyAna-yOga, the meeting
point of karma and jn~Ana yoga routes for attaining jIvAtma
sAkshAtkAram as jn~AnAnanda swaroopa and being blemishless.
The characteristic of being a SarIra to paramAtma is meditated
upon only in the bhakti-yoga. JIvAtma sAkshAtkAram is thus a
pre-requisite for bhakti-yOga since meditation on SarIratvam of
a jIvAtma comes after sAkshAtkAram of what a jIvAtma is <ie.
sAkshAtkAram of jIvAtma swaroopam>. That is why, a pit-fall is
there in this "jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram" stage. One might get
attracted by the high degree of aananda experienced in this
sAkshAtkAram <note: SarIratvam /seshatvam is not an object of
sAkshAtkAram of this meditation> and get stagnated without
proceeding onto bhakti-yoga. These yogis proceed to kaivalya
(after which they will perform bhakti yoga ; ie. after their
sins for starting the bhakti yoga gets eradicated).
Note: Even before performing karma yoga one knows the true
nature of jIvAtma, paramAtma etc through kAlakshEpam from an
AchArya. This attainment of knowledge is not jn~Ana yoga (ref
the above definition). Further, acquairance of this general
knowledge is different from meditation on certain limited
characteristics of jIvAtma etc. Those who attain kaivalya
also knows Sastra thoroughly and during the time prior to even
their start of karma yoga, they knew SAstras very well.It is only
the extensive aananda obtained in jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram of this
aanandamaya swaroopa that causes their pitfall. By the way,
for everyone in general they themselves are their own dearmost.
It is easily evident since all the activities are performed for
one's welfare. Even a suicide is performed by some to get rid
of some present problem => Inherently, everyone likes themselves
the most.
Anyway, when some gets attracted to materialistic things like
Cinema, Coffee etc (though they don't want to get addicted in
heart, still they prefer unfortunately) even with the knowledge
of SAstras, it is understandable that a yogi gets attracted by
jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram, though he has prior knowledge that
paramAtma sAkshAtkAram is the goal to be attained.
--------------------------------
aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,
anantapadmanAbhan alias Anand.
--------------------------------------------------------------
- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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