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Chapter 7
Appendix:—The worshippers of the gods at the most can reach the abode of gods from where they have to retum to the mortal world, but the worshippers of God attain Him only. If a striver regards the deity as the manifestation of God or worships him in a disinterested manner, he will attain salvation viz., will attain God. But if he does not regard the deity as the manifestation of God or if he does not worship Him in a disinterested manner, he will not attain salvation.
The defect in the worship of deities is that the fruit of their worship is perishable because their rights are also limited. Therefore those, who instead of God, worship other deities, they are men of meagre intellect. If they had not been the men of poor intellect, why would have they worshipped the deities, the fruit of whose worship is perishable? They would have worshipped God or would have regarded the deities as the manifestation of God. The worship of God is very easy as it needs no technique, no rules, no labour; in it there is only predominance of devotion. But in the worship of deities, there is predominance of actions, prescriptionsand objects.
A man may have the knowledge of several worldly sciences, arts and crafts etc., yet he is a man of meagre intellect. In fact that knowledge strengthens ignorance. But he who has known God, he may not have knowledge of the worldly science, art and craft etc., yet he is 'sarvavit' (knower of all) (Gila 15/19).
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