Karma Yoga Sastra -Tilak
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CHAPTER XI
RENUNCITATION AND KARMA-YOGA
This also now clearly explains, why the Bhagavadgita was included in the Prasthanatrayi; Although the Upanisads are fundamental, yet, as they have- been written by various Rsis, the ideas contained in them are diverse, and in some places apparently mutually contradictory. It was, therefore, necessary to include the Upanisads in the Prasthanatrayi, along with the Vedanta-Sutras, which attempted to harmonise them. If the Glta did not contain, anything more than the Upanisads and the Vedanta-Sutras,. there would be no point in including the gita in the Prasthana trayi. But, the trend of the Upanisads is principally towards the Path of Renunciation, and they support chiefly the Jnana-marga (Path of Knowledge) ; and when one says- that the Bhagavadgita supports the Karma-Yoga based on Devotion simultaneously with Knowledge, the distinction of the Bhagavadgita becomes clear, and at the same time the appropriateness of the three parts of the Prasthanatrayi also becomes clear. Because, if the authoritative treatises on the Vedic religion had not dealt with both the Vedic paths of Jnana and Karma (Samkhya and Yoga), the Prasthanatrayi. would to that extent have remained incomplete. Some people think, that as the Upanisads are ordinarily in support of Samnyasa, there will arise a mutual opposition between the three parts of the Prasthanatrayi, if the Gita. is explained as- being in support of Action ; and the authoritativeness of the three parts will be endangered. Such a doubt would be appropriate if the Samkhya or Samnyasa was the only true Vedic Path to Release ; but, I have shown above,, that in some Upanisads at any rate, such as the Isavasya- and others, the Karma- Yoga has been specifically mentioned. Therefore, if one lays down the proposition, as has been done in the Gita, that the Vedic Religion is not to be looked upon as a one-handed man, that is, as being only in support of Samnyasa; and that although it has only one head, namely, Brahmavidya, yet, Samkhya . and' Karma- Yoga, which, from the point of view of Release,, are of equal value, are its right hand and left hand respectively, there remains no opposition between the Glta and the Upanisads. Nay, as the Upanisads support the one path, and the Gita the other path, these two parts of the Prasthanatrayi are seen to be mutually co-operative like two hands, instead of being mutually antagonistic. In the same way, the Gita does not acquire the subordinate position of merely repeating what has already been said, which it would acquire if it is said to be supporting only what the Upanisads have maintained. |
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