Chapter 2, Sutra 7

HARI AUM

Prostrations to all.

Sutra 7 –
raja griha bhojanaadishu tathaiva dristatvaat

Word meaning
(bhakthi is self-sufficient)
Tathaiva dristatvaat – As it is seen similarly
Raja griha bhojanaadishu – in the case of king (who had forgotten his nature), house, food etc.

Sutra meaning
(Bhakthi is self-sufficient) As it is seen in the case of king, house, food etc.

In the previous sutra Narada had mentioned that Bhakthi is self-sufficient as it gives its own fruit thereby not requiring the help of any other path. In this sutra, he gives similar examples where it is found that the processes doesn’t require the help of any other path but gives its own fruit.

Let us first see the three examples that he is giving.

1. Raja – the example of the king
This example is quite popular in the Upanishads and found in Sankara’s Upanishad bhashyas as well. There was a son for a king but was lost when he was young. The son thus grew up like a farmer. But after a long time, he was informed that he is the son of the king thereby the future king and not a farmer. In this example, a new king was never made or created. The same person who thought himself as the farmer realizes his nature of king. Similarly in the case of bhakthi, there is nothing new created. Bhakthi when followed in itself gives the fruit which is realization of one’s own nature of ever-realized Lord. Thus bhakthi is self-sufficient and doesn’t require the help of any other path.

2. Griha – house
A person was going away from his house and suddenly wanted to return back to his house. Thus he started walking back and reached his own house. Here he didn’t come to a place which is not his – instead he came to the place which is his very nature. To return to his house, he doesn’t require any particular path but just remembrance of where the house is. Similarly bhakthi doesn’t require any other path’s help but just remembrance of the goal which is one’s very nature of Consciousness (symbolized by the house in this example).

3. Bhojana – food
A person feels hungry and thereby he eats food. The food can never remove hunger but it only gives the seeker the feeling that he has had food which in turn removes hunger which never really was there. There is nothing called hunger but it is only a feeling of wanting food. Similarly bhakthi doesn’t provide any new fruit so that it may have to depend on any other path – instead bhakthi just removes seemingly appearing ignorance of one’s own nature of Lord by making the seeker realize his very nature of Lord.

Narada justifies the examples by giving a reason in the next sutra. After that, he concludes this chapter with a final statement about bhakthi for seekers. We will see those in the next day.

Prostrations to all.

Chapter 2, Sutra 5 and 6

HARI AUM

Prostrations to all.

Sutra 5 –
Anyonya aasrayatvam ithi anye

Word meaning
Anyonya aasrayathvam – Jnaana and bhakthi are mutually dependent
Ithi – thus opine
Anye – others

Sutra meaning
Others (on the other hand) opine that jnaana and bhakthi are mutually dependent.

Narada gives here two opinions or two views about bhakthi and jnaana. After explaining as to why Bhakthi is superior to other paths, here Narada is specifically speaking about bhakthi and jnaana. We have already discussed in depth that Narada is of the opinion (following the scriptural view) that bhakthi and jnaana are not different but the same only. The jnaana which is spoken of as inferior to bhakthi is only the means of intellectual knowledge through scriptural study. The jnaana of Vedanta which is Brahma atma aikya jnaana is the same as paraa bhakthi or supreme devotion.

There are basically two different views while comparing bhakthi and jnaana. These opinions are only from those who are not well aware of what bhakthi and jnaana are and not done any sadhana as well to realize that both are same. The bhakthaas opine that bhakthi is superior to jnaana and hence jnaana is the sadhana to bhakthi. The jnaanis in turn opine that bhakthi is the path and jnaana is the final goal of realization. Both these views are not fully correct because paraa bhakthi and jnaana are one and the same only – there is absolutely no difference between both.

Here Narada doesn’t mention the view of the jnaanis that bhakthi is a mean whereas he is mentioning the views of the bhakthas only. Few people opine that jnaana is the means to bhakthi. If we consider jnaana here as the knowledge of the ultimate reality of Lord as the only real entity present, then this is the means to supreme devotion.

Few others opine that bhakthi and jnaana are mutually dependent. Bhakthi is required to have knowledge of the Lord – knowledge of the Lord is required for bhakthi. Therefore both are required and essential for a seeker. A seeker cannot do either without bhakthi or without jnaana. We can say that Swami Vivekananda while explaining the four paths of bhakthi, jnaana, karma and yoga meant this only that both are essential and mutually dependent.

After giving the diverse views about jnaana and bhakthi, Narada will give his conclusion in the next sutra which we will see in the next day (the conclusion might be a bit contradictory but we will see that in depth to avoid confusion).

Sutra 6 –
Swayam phala roopathaa ithi brahmakumaarah

Word meaning
Swayam phala roopathaa – Bhakthi gives its own fruit (doesn’t depend on anything else)
Ithi – thus says
Brahmakumaarah – son of Brahma (Narada).

Sutra meaning
Narada is of the opinion that bhakthi gives its own fruit & hence is independent of all other paths.

In the last two sutras, Narada mentioned about the different views regarding the means of bhakthi. Here he gives his own view which will be further supported by arguments in the next few sutras. Narada concludes those views by telling that bhakthi is self-sufficient. This is in fact a direct indication that bhakthi and jnaana are one and the same only. The scriptures speak outright about realization being possible only through knowledge – thus Narada’s statement would go against the scriptures if bhakthi was not the same as jnaana.

Bhakthi is self-sufficient as it is the path and the goal as well. While a person is going through the path of bhakthi, he develops pure devotion towards the Lord. This devotion is accompanied by complete, total and unconditional surrender. Such surrender is not possible without knowing that the Lord is all-powerful and the only person who can give eternal bliss in the form of liberation from the ocean of samsaara. Therefore the path of bhakthi has jnaana in itself. The same bhakthi of pure devotion becomes the ends as well when the seeker realizes his very nature of devotion or love in the form of Lord (of the nature of pure bliss). Devotion when it is pure and perfect is nothing but bliss alone. This bliss is non-dual as it is devoid of any imperfection and limitedness. Thus pure devotion when completely achieved is the means of eternal bliss. Thus bhakthi is self-sufficient as the means and end as well. Bhakthi gives its own fruit which is not gaining anything new but removing the ignorance veil of one’s nature of Lord. If bhakthi were like the other paths giving limited and new fruit, it would not be superior to other paths. But since bhakthi gives the eternal fruit of realization of one’s own nature of Lord, therefore it is superior to all paths. Since bhakthi gives the eternal fruit which is not “attaining” anything but “realizing” the ever-present nature of non-dual reality of Lord.

Thus bhakthi gives its own fruit through itself without needing the help of the other paths of karma, yoga etc. We have to remember that “giving” here means “removal of ignorance veiling one’s nature of Lord” and not “attaining anything afresh”. As Sankara points out in his bhashyas, anything that is achieved new will be temporary as it will/may be lost. Hence realization or moksha which is attained will be temporary only. That moksha which is realization of whatever is already there but veiled by an ignorance veil alone is permanent. It is this moksha of realization of one’s nature of Lord through pure devotion which is the fruit of bhakthi.

To sum up this sutra, bhakthi is self-sufficient as it is both the path as well as the goal also. Bhakthi is both the path and means because it is nothing but remover of ignorance & revealer of one’s own very nature of Lord. In the next few sutras, Narada would be explaining this concept clearly --- this is one of the places where Vedantic concept is made very clear without any contradictions and doubts.

Prostrations to all.

HARI AUM
Thanks
Hariram
Let a moment not pass by without remembering God

Chapter 2, Sutra 3 and 4

HARI AUM

Prostrations to all.

Sutra 3 –
Ishwarasya api abhimaana dveshitvaat dainya priyatvaat cha

Word meaning
Ishwarasya api abhimaana dveshitvaat – since Ishwara doesn’t like Egoism
Dainya priyatvaat cha – and likes humility
(therefore bhakthi is superior)

Sutra meaning
Since Ishwara doesn’t like Egoism and likes humility, therefore bhakthi is superior to other paths.

In the previous sutra, we learned that bhakthi is superior to other paths because of the fruit of bhakthi being eternal. Here Narada gives another reason to show that bhakthi is superior to other paths.

Ishwara doesn’t like ego and likes humility. Here Ishwara need not mean the God who creates, protects and destroys but the ultimate reality of Brahman itself at the empirical level. Ishwara can be realized only when the ego is vanquished. So long as individuality remains, there cannot be realization of the totality of the non-dual reality of Brahman. Scriptures thus proclaim in many ways that a seeker has to get rid of ego attitude. The Lord himself mentions in Gita in many places that a person should get rid of the notion of “I” and “Mine”. This notion of “I” and “Mine” is what is termed as ego or ahamkaara. When there is ego, there is the sense of limitedness caused by the limitations of body and mind. Thus the seeker will consider himself as attached and associated with the body mind complex. When there is attachment and association with the body-mind complex, the sorrows and sufferings of the body will be superimposed on the Self. Thereby the blissful nature of the Self will be forgotten and sorrowful nature of the body will be identified as “my” sorrow. This is what Vedanta calls as bandha and Sankara terms as adhyaasa or superimposition. This bandha can be removed only when the seeker detaches himself from the body-mind complex. This detachment leads a person to either kill the ego or detach himself from the Ego and identify himself with the witness of Self.

Thus since ego has to negated for realization, Ishwara doesn’t like Ego. Here “doesn’t like” only means that he who has ego cannot go near the Lord. Cannot go near the Lord means that he cannot realize the ultimate reality of Lord. Thus one who has Ego will never achieve perfection, infinite state and unlimited bliss.

Since bhakthi leads a person to all these, therefore bhakthi doesn’t involve Ego. The other paths of karma, jnaana and yoga require the doer-ship which is a form of Ego. Bhakthi doesn’t involve Ego because the devotee offers all actions unto the Lord and considers himself as a mere instrument in the hands of the Lord. Thus there is no doership in bhakthi whereas in the other paths there is the doer. Karma has the doer of Kartha whereas jnaana has the doer of jnaani. Yoga also has the doer of the person who tries to achieve samaadhi. As bhakthi doesn’t involve ego and other paths involve ego, bhakthi is superior to the other paths.

Wherever there is ego, there will be no humility. Since bhakthi doesn’t have ego, therefore it has humility as well. Ishwara doesn’t like egoism and hence likes humility. Since bhakthi alone qualifies as having humility and not having ego, therefore bhakthi is superior than the other paths.

Sutra 4 –
Tasyaah jnanameva saadhanam ithi eke

Word meaning
Tasyaah – for bhakthi
Jnaanam eva saadhanam – jnaana alone is the means
Ithi – thus
Eke – say a few

Sutra meaning
A few opine that for bhakthi, jnaana alone is the means.

Explanation along with next sutra..

Prostrations to all.

HARI AUM

Thanks
Hariram
Let a moment not pass by without remembering God