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Chapter 15
THE INTEGRAL YOGA: SEEING THE LORD EVERYWHERE
86. The Mark Of Jnana: Seeing The Purusha Everywhere
17. First, bhakti was infused with karma, and now jnana too is poured into it, forming the divine elixir of life. The Gita has finally brought us to the path of service that is full of advaita (non-duality). There are three forms of Purusha in the whole of the creation, and it is the Purushottam who takes all these forms. These three together constitute one single Purusha. Nowhere is there any duality, any distinctions. This is the pinnacle of spirituality where the Gita has brought us. Here, karma, bhakti and jnana fuse together and become one. Jiva (the lower self), Shiva (the Absolute, or the Supreme Self) and the creation become one. There is then no conflict, no contradiction between karma, bhakti and jnana. 18. Jnanadeva has given in his ‘Amritanubhava’ an illustration that is dear to Maharashtra, (‘The temple, the idol and the devotee are all carved out of a single rock. Why cannot bhakti be like that?’) The temple, the image of the Lord and that of the devotee and the flowers for worship are all carved in the same rock. A single rock takes different forms[1] Why should not the same thing happen in the realm of bhakti? Why cannot there be unity between the bhakta and God even when the relationship of master and servant is retained? Why cannot the creation, the means of worship, verily become the Self even though it is distinct? All the three Purushas are after all one. Jnana, karma and bhakti should combine together to form the spring of life. This is the perfect Purushottamyoga. The sport of loving devotion should go on even though the servant, the master and the means of service are one and the same. 19. A true devotee is one who has fully assimilated this Purushottamyoga. ‘सर्व-ज्ञ ता सर्व-भावें सर्व-रूपीं भजे मज’ (‘He who knows Me, the Purushottam, knows all; and he worships Me in all the forms with all his being.’)[2] Such a man is a jnani and still he is a perfect bhakta. One who has attained jnana is invariably full of love. Knowing the Lord and loving Him are not two different things. If we know that something is bitter, we do not develop any love for it. Exceptions apart, bitter taste arouses dislike. But sugar immediately arouses liking. In the case of the Lord, knowing Him and loving Him are one and the same thing. But should one compare the Lord with so ordinary a thing as sugar? Knowing and loving Him being one and the same thing, there is no point in debating over the place of bhakti in advaita (non-duality). As Jnanadeva says, ‘हे चि भक्ति हें चि ज्ञान। एक विठ्ठल चि जाण॥’ (‘As far as the Lord is concerned, knowledge and devotion are one and the same thing. Know the Lord, and that is all.’) Bhakti and jnana are two sides of the same coin. |
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