“Eternal Love and Ultimate Knowledge – A Bond made in Heaven”, Indica Today, December 04, 25
“All seekers on the path of Advaita Vedanta eventually encounter a profound spiritual challenge. Advaita consistently asserts through its arguments that Jnana (knowledge) alone is the direct means to liberation, while all forms of action, including Bhakti (devotion), serve only as auxiliary support to Jnana.
बोधः अन्यसाधनेभ्यः हि साक्षान् मोक्षैकसाधनम् ।
पाकस्य वह्निवत् ज्ञानं विना मोक्षः न सिध्यति ॥ २॥ Atma Bodha
(In comparison with other means, knowledge indeed is the only direct means for liberation. As fire is essential for cooking, so without knowledge, liberation is not possible.)
वदन्तु शास्त्राणि यजन्तु देवान्
कुर्वन्तु कर्माणि भजन्तु देवताः ।
आत्मैक्यबोधेन विनापि मुक्तिः
न सिध्यति ब्रह्मशतान्तरेऽपि ॥ ६॥Viveka Choodamani
(Let people recite the scriptures, sacrifice to the gods, perform rituals, and worship the deities, but without the realization of one’s identity with the Self, there is no liberation—not even in the lifetime of a hundred Brahmas.)
सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते॥4.33॥ Bhagavad Gītā
(O son of Pṛthā, all actions in their totality culminate in Knowledge.)
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन।
ज्ञानाग्नि: सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा॥4.37॥Bhagavad Gītā
(O Arjuna, as a blazing fire reduces pieces of wood to ashes, similarly the fire of Knowledge reduces all actions to ashes.)
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति॥4.39॥
(Achieving Knowledge, one soon attains supreme Peace.)
ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मन:।
तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम्॥5.16॥
(But in the case of those of whom that ignorance of theirs becomes destroyed by the knowledge (of the Self), their Knowledge, like the sun, reveals that supreme Reality.)
Yet, there is something within Bhakti itself that resists being reduced to a mere assistant to knowledge. Hence, we have a great Acharya like Adi Shankara writing numerous devotional compositions. Hence, we have a Madhusudana Saraswati saying,
वंशीविभूषितकरान्नवनीरदाभात् पीताम्बरादरुणबिम्बफलाधरोष्ठात् ।
पूर्णेन्दुसुन्दरमुखादरविन्दनेत्रात् कृष्णात्परं किमपि तत्त्वमहं न जाने ॥
This verse appears at the conclusion of Chapter 18 and Chapter 15, of his Bhagavad Gītā commentary Gūḍhārtha Dīpikā. This represents the culmination of his entire Gītā commentary, showing how even after expounding Advaita philosophy throughout, his devotion to Krishna’s Saguna (with-form) aspect remains supreme. This friction between Bhakti and Jnana is inevitable for all who walk this path. For this reason, every seeker must clearly figure out the place of Bhakti within their overall scheme of Sadhana if they are to progress further……”
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