Vedic Literature | Ekamsat | Uddhava-Gita | Ways of Realization
2. The determination of varnas and their duties, the differences between the two types of marriage called anuloma and pratiloma, the nature of substances, place, age and time, the distinction of heaven and hell, etc are the differentiations and classifications stated in the Veda, on the basis of the distinction between the good and the bad, the high and the low.
3. Without accepting the absolute distinction between merit and demerit, how can Thy word, the Veda, stand? How can the doctrine of salvation be justified?
4. Thy word, the Veda, is for men, pitris and Devas the principal guidance in matters unseen and unattained – in understanding the goal and the means in this field of the unseen.
5. From Thy revelation, the Veda, man has come to understand this distinction
between the good and the bad; it is not his nature that has helped him do so. So
when Thou sayeth that there is no such distinction between them, we are
confused.
Sri Bhagawan said:
6. I have proclaimed three types of communion for spiritual enlightenment of man. These are the yogas of jnana, karma and bhakti. There is no other way besides these three.
7. Communion through jnana or knowledge is for those who are disgusted with the Veda-ordained works and their fruits and who, therefore, abandon such works out of true renunciation. Communion through karma or action is for those who have desires and are, therefore, not yet disgusted with works and their fruits.
8. Bhakti yoga becomes easily fruitful in the case of a man who, by some good fortune resulting from his karma or the Lord’s grace, develops sraddha or zealous faith in listening to accounts of My works and excellence, and who is neither endowed with a very keen spirit of renunciation, nor is so much attached to things of the world.
9. It is only until man has developed disgust for worldly fulfillments or until he has had zealous faith in hearing of, and contemplating on My works and excellence, that it is incumbent on him to perform the Veda-ordained works, ritualistic or otherwise.
10. Oh Uddhava! A person, who is devoted to the performance of the Veda-ordained duties (swadharma), if he performs those yajnas ordained in the Veda as an offering to Me without any desire for their fruits, and if he also refrains from any prohibited or desire-prompted actions, will not have to be in heaven for enjoying the felicities springing from his works, nor will he be consigned to the hell (naraka).
11. Oh sinless one! A person who thus performs his swadharma will attain to purity of mind and have knowledge of the Atman. Or if he is very fortunate, he may develop love for Me.
12. Just as those consigned to the hell (purgatory) desire to get a human body, so do the denizens of heaven aspire for such a body. For, it is only with the human body that self-knowledge and bhakti (devotion) can be attained, and not with bodies pertaining to other spheres.
13. Therefore, a man of intelligence and insight should not desire for the heavenly regions even as he does not desire for the hell, where the Jiva suffer for their past karma. He should not entertain any desire for a human body, too, for, the passionate attachment to the body will deny him of his ultimate spiritual goal.
14. Thus understanding that this human body, though capable of taking him to the highest level of enlightenment, is in itself mortal, a man of discrimination should strive with great alertness and self-effort for attainment of the spiritual goal even before death overtakes him.
15. When the wood-cutter cuts down trees without any compassion, the birds having nests thereon fly away easily to places of safety as they are without attachment to their habitats.
16. Similarly, a seeker should realize that the tree of his life-span is being cut down with the passing of every night and day. This realization will help him free himself from all attachments in life, become desireless, and be established in tranquility, contemplating on the Supreme Being.
17. Suppose that one has obtained a human body which is the first requirement of higher life. Though very rare, the ship of a human body, very well-built, has now become available to one by one’s good fortune, and it is captained by a competent guru and favoured by the wind of My Grace. If, with all these favourable conditions, one fails to utilize them and cross the ocean of samsara, one shall be deemed to have committed spiritual suicide.
18. When one has become averse to worldly desires because of true abhorrence of worldly values and when, as a consequence, one has gained mastery over the senses, one should strive to make one’s mind recollected and steady by repeated practice of inward concentration.
19. Though one seeks to concentrate one’s mind on Me, it may still run away in all directions in a chaotic manner. Then the yogi should, with great alertness, bring it round slowly, adopting the conciliatory way of allowing it to dwell on un-prohibited objects of its choice for a while.
20. After one establishes control over the prana and the senses, one should not allow the mind to wander about further. One should bring it under one’s control through pure intellect that arises because of pure food and noble sense-impressions.
21. Such restraint of the mind is what is considered the highest reach of yoga. The seeker should attain it like a horse-trainer brings an uncontrollable horse under his control. He allows the horse some freedom to move about as it likes, but with the reins in hand, he controls its movements slowly and gradually. Similarly, a seeker should establish general control over his mind.
22. Next, until the mind becomes calm and recollected, a seeker should, through philosophic reflection, perceive the origin and evolution of everything from Mahatattva to the elements, and their involution in the reverse order.
23. A seeker who is disgusted with rituals, endowed with renunciation and has received instruction from guru will abandon attachment to, and identification with, the body by repeated reflection on the instruction imparted by the guru.
24. By the disciplines of yoga with its eight steps beginning with yama, through philosophic analysis and reflection on the path of knowledge, or through the worship of My images or other forms of devotion, the mind should be made to dwell exclusively on the Divine which is the goal of yoga. One shall not adopt any other means to still or transcend the mind.
25. If a seeker practising spiritual communion happens to commit a sin, that sin is to be sought to be burnt by the power of spiritual communion, and not by penance (prayaschitta).
26. What is described ‘good’ consists in adhering to works and ways of living, coming within one’s spiritual and moral sphere. This is mainly to regulate and limit desire-prompted actions that are, by nature, impure. As all evil tendencies cannot be abandoned at once by everybody, a gradual process of reaching, step by step, the state of total non-attachment and renunciation is, therefore, prescribed.
27-28. One may have developed strong faith in Me and the scriptures dealing with Me. One may have developed abhorrence for all karma and gained the understanding that all desires lead to suffering ultimately. Yet one may not have the requisite will to practise total renunciation. Such a person may continue to live fulfilling his desires and simultaneously worshipping Me with joy, faith and determination. But he should do so with the full awareness of the unedifying nature of such a life. For, discrimination and worship will soon raise him from that way of life to divinity.
29. When a seeker thus continues to follow the disciplines of bhakti without any let-up, I begin to dwell in his heart and, thereupon, all the desires of the heart are destroyed owing to My presence within.
30. When a seeker realizes Me, the Soul of All, his ego-sense is cut asunder. All his doubts about the reality of God, the Atman, etc are dispelled; the effect of his past karma gets attenuated.
31. For one, who is thus endowed with devotion that constantly makes the mind centred in Me, there is no need of knowledge and renunciation for realization of the Supreme Self.
32-33. A seeker on the path of devotion can attain, without any difficulty, if he so desires, whatever can be attained by performance of Vedic rites and austerities, knowledge, dispassion, yoga, charity or any other spiritual discipline – be that the abode of the celestials, liberation or Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu.
34. But holy men of firm mind, endowed with unswerving devotion to Me, do not desire or accept liberation or salvation which gives freedom from birth and death, even if I offer it to them.
35. The state of mind in which a man is free from any desire or want is the state of blessedness (nishreya), infinite in its scope. Pure devotion for Me dawns only on such a seeker who desires neither worldly fulfillment nor salvation from Me.
36. Holy men, unswerving in their devotion to Me, even-minded in all situations, with intellect transcended, are not affected by any merit or demerit for their actions arising from scriptural commandments or prohibitions.
37. Those that follow the path of devotion and self-surrender propounded by Me attain to the state of My Supreme Beatitude – the Supreme Brahman.