Gita Rahasya -Tilak 394

Srimad Bhagavadgita-Rahasya OR Karma-Yoga-Sastra -Bal Gangadhar Tilak

CHAPTER XI RENUNCITATION AND KARMA-YOGA As it is possible to have two stair-cases for going to the same floor, or two roads for going to the same place, so also can there be two methods or Nisthas for acquiring Release; and it has, therefore, been clearly stated in the Bhagavadgita that "loke'smin dvividha nistha". When it is once admitted that it is possible to have two Nisthas (paths of Release), it does not become impossible that some Upanisads should ' describe the Jnana-nistha, and others describe the Jnana- Karma-combined Nistha. Necessarily, there does not remain any occasion to pervert the clear, natural, and unequivocal meaning of the words used in the Isavasyo- panisad on the ground that they are inconsistent with the Jnana-nistha. There is another reason for saying that Srimat Samkaracarya aimed rather at insisting on a homogeneity in the Upanisads on the question of the Samnyasa-nistha than at accepting the clear meaning of the hymn. In the Samkara- bhasya on the Taittiriya Upanisad , only the portion "avidyaya mrtyum tirtva vidyaya 'mrtam asnute", out of the hymn in the Isavasya, has been given; and there has been joined to it a statement from the Manu-Smrti that "tapasa kalmasam hanti vidyaya. 'mrtam asnute", and the word 'vidya' in both, these lines has been taken by Samkaracarya in only one meaning, namely, Brahma-jnana, which is the original and primary meaning. But, here the Acarya says that the word 'tirtva' = 'swimming over' implies that the action of swimming through the mortal sphere ( mrtyu-loka) is first completed, and afterwards (not simultaneously) the action of obtaining immortality by vidya follows ; but I need not point out that such an interpretation is inconsistent with the words "ubhayam saha" in the first half of the hymn; and it seems that this meaning must have been left out in the Samkarabhasya on the Isavasya, possibly for this reason. Whatever may be the case, this clearly shows why a different explanation of the eleventh hymn of the Isavasya was given in the Samkarabhasya on it. This reason is merely a desire to support a doctrine, and those who do not accept the doctrinal vision of commenta- tors, may not accept this explanation. I am certainly willing that, as far as possible, one should avoid having to give up an interpretation adopted by a superman like Srimat Samkaracarya But, such a position is bound to arise when one gives up the doctrinal vision; and, therefore, even other commentators have, before me, interpreted the hymns in the Isavasyopanisad in a way different from that adopted in the Samkarabhasya, that is to say, in the same way as has been done by me. For instance, in the commentary by Uvatacarya on the Vajasaneyi-Samhita, and necessarily on the Isavasyopanisad, it is stated in expounding the canon, 'vidyant ca 'vidyam ca' that, "vidya means the Knowledge of the Atman, and avidya means Karma, and immortality or Release is obtained by the combination of both"; and Anantacarya has in his commentary on this Upanisad accepted this interpretation, which combines Knowledge and Action; and he has ultimately clearly said that the doctrine expounded in this hymn is the same as that underlying the statement in the Gita, that : " yay samkhyaih prapyate sthanam tad yogair api gamyate" ; and that the words 'samkhya' and 'yoga' in this stanza in the Gita respectively connote 'Jnana' and 'Karma'.