|
|
Chapter 12
Bhakti Yoga
“Those who, having proper restraint on the senses, having purity of behaviour, having equal disposition towards all beings have intense communion towards Sri Vishnu, by them Sri Devi is realized, not by others. Sri Devi who is thus realized will then grace these devotees of Sri Vishnu, by removing all the obstacles on their path. Thereafter meditating upon Sri Vasudeva he becomes a realized person and by His grace attains eternal peace”, thus in Madhuchhanda section of Samaveda. Similarly “It is sufficient if the Lord is propitiated by attuning to the grace of Sri”, thus in Madhuchhanda section of Samaveda. By the grace of Sri alone the great Lord will not be pleased but in His pleasure alone every one else is perpetually pleased. Even if, there is some laxity in His worship, one would not fail in succeeding. Because He alone is the giver of liberation, not the unmanifest one. Lord says to Lakshmi - “Those who are keen on liberation, will be devoted to the worship of the Supreme Self”, thus in Moksha Dharma.. “I am ever established in those who are devoted to the Perennial Principles, to the supreme wisdom, qualified to be established in Brahman, the truthful, humble, and charitable”, thus has Sri spoken.
“Superior to Mahat is, verily, Brahman”, thus has also been explained by Bhagavan Veda Vyas (in Brahma Sutra) that the knowledge of the Resplendent Lord alone is the way for liberation. Three-fold were also the replies to the questions asked (by Nachiketa seeking peace towards his father, the heavenly rule and the knowledge of the Resplendent Lord). All the replies are relating to the masculine deity. Therefore, superior to mahat could only be that which is superior to the unmanifest (Prakriti). “Without beginning or without end is the mahat, the supreme, eternal, the Supreme Lord has been mentioned as superior to mahat principle” thus in Agniveshya section.It is not that Bhagavan Veda Vyasa has rejected the existence of the unmanifest (prakriti), because he alone has established the Prakriti Tatva in Mahabharat. The statement of Sankhyas giving independence to Prakriti has been rejected by him by citing the Vedic statements. Similarly in Saukarayani scripture – “The One with Form having been dearer to the Sri Vishnu who is formless became the cause of the world to be”. In propitiating Sri Devi, she grants all the resplendence and wealth sooner than would the Lord give. Thus in (subsidiary section of) Rigveda – “Knowing Sri, of the golden colour, having lotuses in hands, the Supreme deity, the presiding over the gross nature, who has enveloped everything, one should propitiate her. She will grant the sincere aspirant all the splendour and wealth; not so will the Lord Himself”.
|
|
