Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 36

Sutra 25. Saa tu karmajnanayogebhyopy adhikataraa.

(It [supreme devotion] is again higher than action knowledge and Yoga.)

Saa: it; devotion, that Para Bhakti 

tu: again; in distinction from others 

Karma-yoga-jnana-yogebhya: than action, knowledge and Yoga 

api: even  

Adhikatara: superior, higher, greater.

In Sutras 25 to 33 Narada explains the greatness of Para Bhakti. He says that Karma, Jnana and Yoga are methods to achieve the result whereas Bhakti is the result itself.

Yogi is one who enters into a living communion with God and perfectly realises His immanence and activity everywhere in the world.

Unless one is blessed with love of the Lord, unless one’s heart is purified by devotion, it is impossible to perform unselfish service.

Without real devotion, one cannot know the nature of the Lord.

Bhakti or devotion is an end in itself. In Jnana and Yoga there is the risk of a fall. In the path of devotion there is no risk as the devotee receives full support and help from God. 

How?? 

FALL IN KARMA

While undertaking Karma, one may get so much immersed / drawn into / find ego fulfillment in his actions that He may forget the real purpose of the path of action - Karma yoga.

A person who takes up this path, must have the clarity that by undertaking selfless actions, he must reduce his ego, be simple, humble and noble. 

He should never expect any praise / any appreciation for his actions.

And most important, all along his path of action, even though one may not have the strength to melt in his love for God, even though one may not be totally immersing in prayers, still, he must have perfect clarity that it is the Lord who is using him to perform all selfless actions, may it be for the family or for the society.

What happens in reality in most cases when we take up action?

Exactly opposite of what is required in this path as given in the above paras, happens to us.

We are appreciated for our actions and our ego swells.

We are able to accomplish certain things through our action and we fail to realize that we are mere instruments and it is God's grace that He has used us in accomplishing such tasks.

We are  over occupied mentally in planning and doing actions that we get stuck in actions and we are never able to evolve spiritually.

This is slipping / falling down in the path of action.

FALL IN THE PATH OF JNANA

When we  take up the path of Self enquiry / Jnana / wisdom, the basic foundation is that we start with the question "Who am I" because, we have to be clear that after all, the flesh and bone that we exist as, the mind that rules us is not the real I and therefore, we start enquiring who really am I??

Then we take up various treatise in the path of Jnana, the main upanishads and then various treatise on vedanta which supports and compliments upanishad learning.

We gain knowledge of what is Brahman, what is Atman, what is universal consciousness and what is Individual consciousness, what is liberation in this path etc.

What happens then in some or many cases?

We start keeping ourselves at a very high pedestal when we look on all the worldly level people who do not process such knowledge.

Somehow, within, our ego, our impression that we are highly learned, creeps in. In vedantha, this is called "Shastra vasana" or the impression about oneself excelling in all shastras!

WHEN EGO COMES, THEN WHAT HAPPENS?

H   EGO   S.   , i.e., HE GOES!!. God leaves us, or, in the understanding in the path of Jnana, we go far away from experiencing the bliss of God as Atman / Self / Pure consciousness. 

The purpose is defeated.

We will continue with the same sutra tomorrow as something more has to be conveyed by the author on this sutra!!

Love.