11-03-2004, 10:54 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I guess i know where you got that from. Is'nt California, a spanish name? Maybe the spanish California is from Kapilaranya!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sridhar ji, That is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam (Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal) who once mused about it. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> I take it only in lighter vein, and do not actually subscribe to the theory of Sagara Putras digging thru the earth's core <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Another question to you, which had bugged me during my initial days, if Gnana (knowing what you really are ) is what you need and Bhakthi is the tool, then why why did Adi Shankaracharya (the realized soul) insist on Bhakthi through his various works?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Bhakthi and Gnana are two approaches to the same goal. Gnana is the top-down approach, while Bhakthi is the bottom-up approach. Let's take for example that The Paramatman is the Ocean, and the jivatman (which is a reflection of Brahman on Avidya) is the drop of water.
A Bhaktha first thinks of himself as the individual ego (water drop) and says "Oh Lord. You are the Grand Ocean, and I am but merely a tiny drop in you. Please allow me to merge with you (Sayujya padam)." Saying thus, the tiny drop merges into the Ocean and loses it's identity.
A Gnani on the other hand, is like the Ocean Identifying itself, and thus even though it sees many rain drops, it knows that the drops are very much a part of ITSELF. Here too, the ego is lost.
Both approaches end in the destruction of the individual identity. When Sri Shankaracharya insists on Bhakthi, he did what any TRUE teacher would do.. It is not easy for the Vishva (Jeevatma in waking state) to give up body consciousness. For them, Bhakthi is appropriate for a Dehi (body-conscious individual) who wants to give up the ego, while for a Gnani no such restrictions exist.. Those who opt for Gnana marga are not gnanis per se, but only Practitioners.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Does Gnana leads to Bhakthi or vice versa or both are one and the same (as told by Rajaji in his introduction to Bhaja Govindam?)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I had spent some time on this, and it always made me smile. Avidya is what caused the Cosmos, and in this Cosmos caused by Avidya, it is only with the help of Maya and Sri Vidya that we become aware of the Real Nature. So, I think it is only Bhavagat Krupa (Her Unending Compassion - Niravadhya Karuna) that leads to either Gnana or Bhakthi. I do not know of any other Source that can plant the seeds of Bhakthi or Gnana in an Maha-agnani like me.
Sridhar ji, That is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam (Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal) who once mused about it. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> I take it only in lighter vein, and do not actually subscribe to the theory of Sagara Putras digging thru the earth's core <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Another question to you, which had bugged me during my initial days, if Gnana (knowing what you really are ) is what you need and Bhakthi is the tool, then why why did Adi Shankaracharya (the realized soul) insist on Bhakthi through his various works?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Bhakthi and Gnana are two approaches to the same goal. Gnana is the top-down approach, while Bhakthi is the bottom-up approach. Let's take for example that The Paramatman is the Ocean, and the jivatman (which is a reflection of Brahman on Avidya) is the drop of water.
A Bhaktha first thinks of himself as the individual ego (water drop) and says "Oh Lord. You are the Grand Ocean, and I am but merely a tiny drop in you. Please allow me to merge with you (Sayujya padam)." Saying thus, the tiny drop merges into the Ocean and loses it's identity.
A Gnani on the other hand, is like the Ocean Identifying itself, and thus even though it sees many rain drops, it knows that the drops are very much a part of ITSELF. Here too, the ego is lost.
Both approaches end in the destruction of the individual identity. When Sri Shankaracharya insists on Bhakthi, he did what any TRUE teacher would do.. It is not easy for the Vishva (Jeevatma in waking state) to give up body consciousness. For them, Bhakthi is appropriate for a Dehi (body-conscious individual) who wants to give up the ego, while for a Gnani no such restrictions exist.. Those who opt for Gnana marga are not gnanis per se, but only Practitioners.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Does Gnana leads to Bhakthi or vice versa or both are one and the same (as told by Rajaji in his introduction to Bhaja Govindam?)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I had spent some time on this, and it always made me smile. Avidya is what caused the Cosmos, and in this Cosmos caused by Avidya, it is only with the help of Maya and Sri Vidya that we become aware of the Real Nature. So, I think it is only Bhavagat Krupa (Her Unending Compassion - Niravadhya Karuna) that leads to either Gnana or Bhakthi. I do not know of any other Source that can plant the seeds of Bhakthi or Gnana in an Maha-agnani like me.