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Re: sarvadharmAn.. vs. karmaNyeva..

From the Bhakti List Archives

Raja Krishnasamy • September 7, 1997 


Shri R. Skrintha wrote:

> Dear Bhagavathas, 
 
>  Today i consulted one of my friends, who is quite familiar with the  
> authoritative works of Sri Aurobindo, esp. His famous "Essays on Gita".  
> Sri Aurobindo interprets the "sarvadharmAn.." part as flowing causally  
> from "karmaNyeva..". The mind shd have been purified by means of bhakthi,  
> jnana, etc. before it can come to the stage where it can afford to cast of  
> all other dharmAs and take shelter in *only* the Supreme.  
> 
>  This is a bit puzzling since it implies that Prapatti is a follow-up to  
> Bhakthi, etc. rather than an alternative. Cd someone familiar with the  
> works of Sri Aurobindo or the issue on the subjectline as such share yr  
> thoughts?

I am not familiar with these works, but here are my few cents worth.  I
was recently reading the a certain book on "IDOL WORSHIP", and there are
references to two forms of yOgA one can profess to attain the Lord.  One
is Bhakti yOgA or suguNa yOgA.  The other is gnAna yOgA or nirguNA
yOgA.  However, the former at somepoint leads to the latter.

Bhakti yOgA through idol worship enables one to focus his/her energy on
a specific form and meditate upon that form, in the case of
srIvaishNavAs - Lord nArAyaNA.  It is less difficult of the two and
gradually as one realizes the true meaning of the Lord infinite through
knowledge, the gnAna mArgam is automatically opened up.

The Latter - nirguNa yOgA or that through complete renunciation of one's
worldly senses and meditating upon the abstract infinite and not
focussing on any object, but that of the undefined requires gnAnam and
is much more difficult.  It is generally the state of the enlightened,
those who are able to just walk out of their life and think of nothing
but service to the Lord for the Lord's purpose, expecting nothing in
return.  This is in a sense related to the definition of "sarvaDharmAn
..." where the Lord indeed tells you to involve yourself in selfless
detached acts so you can focus on the infinite without any distraction.

adiyEn

rAja krishNasAmy
raja@cyberdude.com

I do believe that Prapaththi mArgam is Bhakti mArgam.