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karma-jnana-bhakti Re: sachibasu@yahoo.com

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Srinivasan Sriram • December 9, 2002 


  sachi basu  wrote: 
Please clearly describe the relation with Karma,Gnyan & Bhakti

Sachibasu



I've been grappling with the same question and have so far
formulated the following relationship i.e. 

<.....karma.....><.....jnana.....><....bhakti....>
activity-sacrifice-fruits-relinquishment-devotion
I'd appreciate it if more knowledgeable readers could 
embellish/correct the following:
The progression of souls towards moksha could be viewed as points
in a cone, (points being jivas) where the lowest life forms 
start at the base and the more evolved life forms at points closer
to the tip. 
"Karma" governs all action, starting with the position at birth,
the direction of subsequent movement and the obstacles along the way.
It is beginingless.
Being born as a human is a result of having built good karma over the
ages through multiple other births. 
All human beings need to "act".
        na hi kascit ksanam api
        jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
        karyate hy avasah karma
        sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih 
 
 No man can, even for a moment, rest without doing work;
 for everyone is caused to act, in spite of himself, by
 the Gunas of nature. (BG 3.5)
All human beings need sustenance, which stems from "sacrificial"
activities.
        annad bhavanti bhutani
        parjanyad anna-sambhavah
        yajnad bhavati parjanyo
        yajnah karma-samudbhavah 
 From food arise all beings (i.e., their bodies); from
 rain food is produced; from sacrifice comes rain and
 sacrifice springs from activity. (BG 3.14)
     
Sacrifice, which gives man fruits, is the intersection of 
"jnana" and karma, and is personified by Agni:
        agnimILe purohitaM yajñasya devaM RtvIjam 
        hotAraM ratnadhAtamam 
 
 I Laud Agni, the chosen Priest, God, minister of sacrifice,
        The hotar, lavishest of wealth (RV 1.1.1)
"Faith", the intersection of "bhakti" and jnana, which stems from 
relinquishing the fruits of actions is exhorted by Sri Krshna as:
        sarva-dharman parityajya
        mam ekam saranam vraja
        aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
        moksayisyami ma sucah 
 Completely relinquishing all Dharmas, seek Me alone
 for refuge. I will release you from all sins. Grieve not.
 (BG 18.66)
Bhakti derives from the root Bhaj is devotion which is the means
to attain moksha:
        ye tu sarvani karmani
        mayi sannyasya mat-parah
        ananyenaiva yogena
        mam dhyayanta upasate 
        tesam aham samuddharta
        mrtyu-samsara-sagarat
        bhavami na cirat partha
        mayy avesita-cetasam 
        For, those who dedicate all actions to Me, hold me as
 their supreme goal, intent on Me, and worship Me
 meditating on Me with exclusive devotion;
 Of those whose minds are thus focussed on Me, I become
 soon their saviour from the ocean of mortal life.
 (BG 12.6-7)
Yoga i.e. "the way" introduces time. Acting in a *given* way over time
i.e. karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, bhakti-yoga.
Bhakti-yoga is an arduous undertaking, given that one would
need to stay completely focussed, exclusively on Sriman Narayana 
*all* the time. Time- which would include obstacles set forth by 
karmic residues.
Prapatti or a complete relinquishment is an action that is taken at a
given point in time (in one fell swoop) and as such is more accessible.
Finally, a pasuram of Kurugur Satakopan Nammalvar's Tiruvaimoli that
in 4 lines encapsulates the relationship between to act, to know and to love
 with a directive in a plea of poetic splendor.
        IthE yaan unnaik koLvathe NYNYaanRum, en
        mai thOy sOthi maNivaNNa enthaay,
        eythaa_nin_kazal yaan eytha, NYaanak
        kai thaa kaalakka kazivu seyyElE.
 O, my dark effulgent Lord, here is all
 I ask for at all times -
 grant me the hands of knowledge, that I
 may grasp your precious lotus feet.
 (Tiruvaimoli 2.9.2)
BG Translations - Swami Adidevananda, DP Translation - Srirama Bharati
---- 
My rudimentary understanding is book-based without the privilege of
tutelage under a qualified acharya, so may be filled with
subjective & conceptual inaccuracies.
Thanks
Srinivasan Sriram




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