{"id":1562,"date":"2016-08-30T22:59:04","date_gmt":"2016-08-30T22:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/githa.koyil.org\/?p=1562"},"modified":"2016-08-30T22:59:04","modified_gmt":"2016-08-30T22:59:04","slug":"3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/githa.koyil.org\/index.php\/3\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 3 – The karma yOga or the Path of Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

SrI:  SrImathE SatakOpAya nama:  SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:  SrImath varavaramunayE nama:<\/small><\/p>\n

Original<\/a><\/p>\n

<< Chapter 2<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ramanujar-4-forms\"bhagavath rAmAnuja<\/a> at AzhwArthirunagari, SrIperumbUthUr, SrIrangam and thirunArAyaNapuram<\/p>\n

\"Sandhyavandanam\"<\/a><\/p>\n

AUM<\/h2>\n

\u015aRI BHAGAVAD-G\u012aT\u0100<\/h2>\n

WITH<\/h2>\n

SRI R\u0100M\u0100NUJA’S VI\u015aISHT\u0100DVAITA COMMENTARY<\/h2>\n

THIRD LECTURE<\/h2>\n

THE KARMA-YOGA<\/h2>\n

OR<\/h2>\n

THE PATH OF WORKS<\/h2>\n

INTRODUCTION<\/span><\/p>\n

The purpose of this work, G\u012bt\u0101, is to make an exposition of that one-pointed and perfect Loving Faith or Devotion (Bhakti<\/em>) to that Parabrahma[1. The Great, par excellence<\/em>, the 669th name of God.] and Purushottama[2. ‘The Super-excellent Person’, the 24th name of God, (vide also, P\u0101ta\u00f1jala Yoga-S\u016btra I.24, (which says purusha-vi\u015bes\u1e25<\/em>) – Purusha is the common term to denote a thinking<\/em> substance from an unthinking<\/em> substance. Utpurusha<\/em>=bound soul; uttara-purusha<\/em>=liberated soul, uttama-purusha<\/em>=the ever-free soul; Purushottama<\/em>=Soul Supreme=God.], Who is proclaimed in the Ved\u0101ntas[3. Lit: The Ends of the Vedas teaching spiritual knowledge.] as the Goal to be reached by the Moksha-aspirers, -Who is proclaimed by the Ved\u0101ntas as the Destitute of all the defiling taints such as a-vidya<\/em> (nescience), and the Possessed of boundless and matchless myriad Attributes of Glory. This Bhakti<\/em>, -the Means leading to Divinity- is variously known as Vedana, Up\u0101sana, Dhy\u0101na etc. In order to achieve this Bhakti, the realizing of the nature of one\u2019s own \u0101tm\u0101, is a necessary preliminary step. \u0100tm\u0101-vision or realization is, realizing \u0101tm\u0101\u2019s nature, as declared in the (Veda-) Sentences of Praj\u0101pati thus:-<\/span>
\n\u2018That \u0101tm\u0101, who is devoid of sin etc.\u2019[4. ‘Ya \u0101tma apahata-p\u0101pm\u0101’, etc., C\u1e25\u1e25: Up:<\/em> VIII-7-1.]<\/span>
\n1. That this \u0101tm\u0101-vision is to be achieved by j\u00f1\u0101na-yoga<\/em>[5. This represents the sthita-praj\u00f1at\u0101<\/em>, or intuitive wisdom or knowledge or spiritual consciousness referred to in verses 54 to 68, Second Lecture. The wisdom or sthita-praj\u00f1at\u0101<\/em>, is the superior illumination, or super-sensuous consciousness, or intuition produced by Yoga-practice; vide<\/em> my Three Lectures on “Inspiration, etc.”<\/em>. Will-concentration is ripened wisdom; this is a spiritual illumination of the mind which sets in before \u0101tm\u0101 is realised. It may be called intuition. (sthita-praj\u00f1at\u0101<\/em>) See verse II-39<\/a>.], (2) that j\u00f1\u0101na-yoga<\/em> is generated by performance of work without attachment (karma-yoga<\/em>) and (3) that this method of work is based on the knowledge that \u0101tm\u0101 is eternal (etc.,) are subjects dealt with already (in the Second Lecture).<\/span>
\nIn the treatment of Para-vidy\u0101 (or the Divine art of reaching the Divine), the method of meditation (up\u0101sana<\/em> or Bhakti<\/em>) Divine, known as the dahara-vidy\u0101<\/em>[6. There are chiefly 32 vidy\u0101s or Modes of Meditation, a list of which is attached at end of Lecture 3.] (or the method of bhakti<\/em> or meditation by which to realize God in the etheric region of the heart), -comprised in the utterances of Praj\u0101pati, -the realization of \u0101tm\u0101-nature by the God-seeker, as the first ancillary step to realization of the Divinity itself, is with reference to this \u0101tm\u0101-realization, in such passages as:-<\/span>
\n\u201cWho, understanding that \u0101tm\u0101, contemplates it etc.,\u201d[7. ‘Yas tvam \u0101tm\u0101nam anuvidya vij\u0101n\u0101ti’ Chh: Up:<\/em> VIII-7-1. The translation is as per Ranga R\u0101m\u0101nuja’s commentary.]<\/span>
\nAnd then, the incorporeal or immaterial nature of pratyag-\u0101tm\u0101<\/em> (soul), and its nature transcending the states of waking, dreaming and sleep, is declared; and lastly the subject of the dahara-vidy\u0101<\/em> is closed by declaring the fruit of its practice thus:-<\/span>
\n\u201cThus does this peaceful \u0101tm\u0101 (sampras\u0101do<\/em>), emerging out of this body, and attaining the Ineffable Light (Param jyoti\u1e25<\/em>), shines in its natural (or native) effulgence.\u201d<\/span>
\nElsewhere also (ie., in Upanishads other than the Chh\u0101ndogya, from which the above citations are made) the subject is similarly dealt with, for example, in such passages of Para-vidy\u0101 as:-<\/span>
\n\u2018By knowing the Deva (Param\u0101tma) through the discriminative \u0101tm\u0101-knowledge, the bold man (sage) shakes off joy and grief.\u2019[8. ‘Adhyatma-yog-\u0101dhigamena Devam matv\u0101 dh\u012bro harsha-\u015aokau jah\u0101ti.’ Kat: Up:<\/em> II-12. adhigama is knowledge, or consciousness. Yog\u0101<\/em> is concentration. Adhy\u0101tm\u0101-yog-\u0101dhigama<\/em> is knowledge of \u0101tm\u0101 obtained by concentration, a knowledge discriminating between chit<\/em>, achit<\/em> and \u012a\u015bvara<\/em>. (\u012a\u015bvara is the term which, in preference, R\u0101m\u0101nuja uses to denote God, in all his philosophical discussions; Chit<\/em> being used for individual soul, meaning ‘sentient or intelligent or conscious’, and A-chit<\/em> for matter or that which is not<\/em> sentient, not<\/em> intelligent, not<\/em> conscious’. A-chit<\/em>, chit<\/em> and \u012a\u015bvara<\/em> thus constitute the tatva-traya<\/em>, or the Three Verieties, or the Three necessary Postulates of Existence. Also, \u012a\u015bvara<\/em> or the all-perfect Lord<\/em> is Parabrahm Itself in the Vi\u015bhis\u1e25t\u0101dvaita literature, not the Lower Brahm<\/em> of the Advaita as distinguished from the Higher Brahm<\/em>. The Ved\u0101nta-S\u016btras make no such distinctions (vide: G. Thebaut’s Vedanta Sutras).)] \u2018Knowing the Deva<\/em>\u2019 indicates the Goal, and \u2018through discriminative \u0101tm\u0101-knowledge<\/em>\u2019 indicates the \u0101tm\u0101-knowledge as the constituent member of the Paravidy\u0101. (So the passage points out that Soul-knowledge is a necessary preliminary step to God-knowledge). After postulating, thus, the necessity of \u0101tm\u0101-knowledge, the nature of \u0101tm\u0101 is next inquired into by such clauses as:-<\/span>
\n\u2018The intelligent \u0101tm\u0101 is neither born nor dies\u2019[9. ‘Naj\u0101yate m\u1e5biyate v\u0101 vipa\u015bchit.’ Kat: Up:<\/em> II-18.]<\/span>
\nThen beginning from:<\/span>
\n\u2018The minutose than the minute\u2019[10. ‘Anor-a\u1e47\u012by\u0101n.’ Kath: Up:<\/em> II-20], and affirming:-<\/span>
\n\u2018By knowing the Magnificent, All-pervading \u0100tm\u0101 (God) the bold man (sage) does no more grieve\u2019[11. ‘Mah\u0101ntam vibhum \u0101tm\u0101nam matv\u0101 dh\u012bro na \u015bochati.’ Kat: Up: II-22.<\/em>]:- thus showing the nature of Param-\u0101tm\u0101 (God) and the result of Pratyag-\u0101tm\u0101 (soul) attaining Param-\u0101tm\u0101, the passage:<\/span>
\n\u201cThis (Param)-\u0101tm\u0101 or the Soul of all (i.e., All-pervading Being) is not attainable (merely) by means of much hearing (about Him, i.e., by means of much Scriptural erudition) nor (merely) by means of well (i.e., thoughtfully) discoursing (on Him), nor (merely) by means of the fixing (of Him) in the intellect; He is attainable by him alone whom He elects (or makes choice of)[12. Cf. the expression:- “Many be called, but few chosen” Matt: 20-16, and “For many are called but few are chosen” Matt: 22-14.]. To him (whom by an act of sovereign Grace, He thus elects), the Soul (of all), -discovers His essence (i.e., reveals Himself)\u201d[13. The translation is by Yogi S. P\u0101rthas\u0101rathi Aiyang\u0101r. Original is ‘N\u0101yam \u0100tm\u0101<\/em> pravachanena labhyo, na medhay\u0101 na bahun\u0101 \u015brutena yam evaisha v\u1e5bi\u1e47ute tena labhyas tasyaisha \u0100tm\u0101<\/em> viv\u1e5bi\u1e47ute tan\u016bm sv\u0101m’. Kath: Up: II-23<\/em>. This passage occurs also in Mund: Up:<\/em> III-2-3.] and so on, (the Kathopanishat<\/em>) discusses the nature of Param-\u0101tm\u0101, the means or meditation (up\u0101sana<\/em>) by which to attain Him, and shows that the meditation is of the form of Loving Devotion (bhakti-r\u0101pat\u0101<\/em>). And finally, the fruit of devotion is stated thus:- \u2019That man who has discriminative knowledge[14. Discriminatory knowledge of the natures of chit<\/em>, achit<\/em> and \u012a\u015bvara<\/em> (vide earlier note.)] as his charioteer, and who has the reins of his mind (in his hand), reaches the end of the journey, viz: the supreme state of Vish\u1e47u (the All-pervader)[15. ‘Vij\u00f1\u0101na-s\u0101rathir yas tu mana\u1e25 pragrahav\u0101n nara\u1e25, sodhvana\u1e25-p\u0101ram \u0101pnoti tad visno\u1e25 paramam padam.’ Kat: Up:<\/em> III-9.].\u2019<\/span>
\n(This being the purpose of the Gita), the next Four Lectures (Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth), deal with the subject of the postulant (or aspirant) Pratyag-\u0101tm\u0101\u2019s cognition or realization, and the Means or Method (viz., Meditation) by which to realize it.<\/span><\/p>\n