Srimad Bhagavadgita-Rahasya OR Karma-Yoga-Sastra -Bal Gangadhar Tilak
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CHAPTER XIII
THE PATH OF DEVOTION
Even the Upanisads, in describing the worship of the Brahman, do not mention only, Life, Mind, and other qualityful, but purely imperceptible things, but they at the same time mention the worship of qualityful, perceptible objects like the Sun (aditya) or the food, etc. [1]; and in the Svetasvataropanisad, after describing the ' Isvara ' as: " mayam tu prakrtim vidyat mayinam tu mahesvaram" [2], that is, " Maya is the name given to Matter (prakrti), and the Lord of this Maya is the highest Isvara (mahesvara)" , the qualityful Isvara is further described as: "jnatva devam mucyate sarvapasaih", that is, " by knowing this god (deva), one becomes free from all bonds" [3] — which is more or less the same as in the Gita. The Name-d and Form-ed object necessary for purposes of worship as the symbol, sign, incarnation, particle, or representation of the worshipped Parabrahman, is known in Vedanta philosophy as a ' pratika '. The etymological meaning of ' pratika ', is prati+ ika, that is, ' one, who is turned, towards (prati) ourselves '; and that side or portion of any particular object, which first becomes perceptible to us, and whereby we subsequently obtain a knowledge of it, is called 'pratika'. According to this meaning, any perceptible side, part, or particular incarnation of the all-pervading Paramesvara can become a 'pratika' for acquiring His Knowledge. For instance, in the conversation between the Brahmin and the Vyadha (hunter), the Vyadha, after explaining the Knowledge of the Absolute Self to the Brahmin, says in the end: "pratyaksam mama yo dharmas tam ca pasya dvijottama" [4], i. e„ "O most excellent among Brahmins, now see my visible religion" ; and he then takes the Brahmin to his aged parents and says, "these are my 'visible deities', and serving them with all my heart and soul, as if they are the Paramesvara, is my 'visible' (pratyaksa) religion " ; and even in the Gita, the Blessed Lord has, before mentioning the worship of His perceptible form, said with the same object, that this Path of Devotion is : rajavidya rajaguhyam pavitram idam uttamam I 'that is, "the most superior among all Vidyas and all mysticisms, (raja-vidya and raja-guhya), excellent, sacred, literally VISIBLE, consistent with Religion, easily observable, and inexhaustible".
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