GYAna Yoga in the Srimad Bhaagavatam (11.28.1-24)

[Sankar Jayanarayanan]

Om namo nArAyaNaaya.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 11, chapter 28 consists of instructions on GYAna Yoga
given by Bhagavaan shri KrishNa to shri Uddhava. I have typed verbatim
the English translation of the text by BBT except occasionally taking recourse
to the sanskrit words for more clarity. (e.g. "GYAna" for "discriminating
knowledge", "prakR^iti" for "material nature",etc.).

[Translation by BBT, used with permission.]

Sri Bhagavaanuvaacha:

One should neither praise nor criticize the conditioned nature and activities
of other persons. Rather, one should see this world as simply the combination
of prakR^iti and purushha, based on the one Absolute Truth.

Whoever indulges in praising or criticizing the qualities of others will quickly
become deviated from his own best interest by his entanglement in illusory
dualities.

Just as the embodied spirit soul loses external consciousness when his senses
are overcome by the illusion of dreaming or the deathlike state of deep sleep,
a person experiencing material duality must encounter illusion and death.

That which is expressed by material mind is not ultimate truth. What, therefore,
is actually good or bad within this insubstantial world of duality, and how can
the extent of such good and bad be measured?

Although shadows, echoes and mirages are only illusory reflections of real
things, such reflections do cause a semblance of meaningful or comprehensible
perception. In the same way, although the identification of the conditioned soul
with the material body, mind and ego is illusory, this identification generates
fear within him even up to the moment of death.

The Atman alone is the ultimate controller and creator of this world, and thus
He alone is also the created. Similarly, the vishvaatma ("world-soul")of all
existence Himself both maintains and is maintained, withdraws and is withdrawn.
No other entity can be properly ascertained as separate from Him, the Ishvara,
who nonetheless is distinct from everything. The appearance of the three-fold
material nature, which is perceived within Him, has no actual basis. Rather, you
should understand that this material nature composed of the three gunas, is
simply His Maya.

One who has properly understood the process of becoming firmly fixed in
theoretical and realized knowledge, as described herein by Me, does not indulge
in material criticism or praise. Like the sun, he wanders freely throughout
this world.

By direct perception, logical deduction, scriptural testimony and personal
realization, one should know that this world has a beginning and an end and so
is not the ultimate reality. Thus one should live in this world wirthout
attachment.

Sri Uddhava said:

My dear Lord, it is not possible for this material existence to be the
experience of either the Atman, who is the seer, or of the body, which is the
seen object. On the one hand, the spirit soul is innately endowed with perfect
knowledge, and on the other hand, the material body is not a conscious, living
entity. To whom, then, does this experience of material existence pertain?

The Atman is inexhaustible (avyayaH), transcendental (aguNaH), pure (shuddhaH),
self-luminous (svayaM jyotiH) and never covered (anAvartaH)...It is like fire,
but the nonliving material body, like firewood, is dull and un-aware. So in
this world, who is it that actually undergoes the experience of material life?

Sri Bhagavaanuvaacha:

As long as the Atman remains attracted to the material body, senses and vital
force, his material existence continues to flourish, although it is ultimately
meaningless (apArthaH).

Actually, the living entity is transcendental to material existence, but because
of his mentality of lording it over material nature, his material existential
condition does not cease and, just as in a dream, he is affected by all sorts of
disadvantages.

Although while dreaming, a person experiences many undesirable things, upon
awakening he is no longer confused by the dream experiences.

Lamentation, elation, fear, anger, confusion and hankering, as well as birth
and death, are experiences of the false ego(ahaMkAra) and not of the pure Atman.

The jiva who falsely identifies with his body, senses, life air and mind, and
who dwells within these coverings, assumes the form of his own materially
conditioned qualities(guNAs) and work (karma). He is designated variously in
relation to the total material energy (mahAn), and thus, under the control of
time, he is forced to run here and there within SamsAra.

Although the false ego has no factual basis, it is perceived in many forms -
as the functions of the mind, speech, life air and bodily faculties. But with
the sword of GYAna, sharpened by worship, a muni will cut off this false
identification and live in this world free from all material attachment.

GYAna is based on discrimination of spirit from matter (viveka), and is
cultivated by scriptural evidence, austerity, direct perception,
reception of the puranas' historical narrations (aitihyam), and
logical inference (anumAnam). The Absolute Truth, which alone was present before
the creation of the universe and which alone will remain after its destruction,
is also the time factor and the ultimate cause. Even in the middle stage of this
creation's existence, the Absolute Truth alone is the actual reality.

Gold alone is present before its manufacture into gold products, the gold alone
remains after the products' destruction, and the gold alone is the essential
reality while it is being utilized under various designations. Similarly, I
alone exist before the creation of this universe, after its destruction and
during its maintenance.

The viGYAna manifests in three phases of consciousness - wakefulness,
(dream) sleep and deep sleep - which are products of the three guNAs. The mind
further appears in three different roles - the perceiver, the perceived and the
regulator of perception. Thus the mind is manifested variously throughout
designations. But it is the fourth factor, existing separately from all this,
that alone constitutes the satyam (The Absolute Truth).

That which did not exist in the past and will not exist in the future also has
no existence of its own for the period of its duration, but is only a
superficial designation. In my opinion, whatever is created and revealed by
something else is ultimately that other thing.

Although thus not existing in reality, this manifestation of transformations
created from the mode of passion (rAjasa) appears real because the
self-manifested, self-luminous Brahman exhibits Himself in the form of the
material variety of the senses, the sense objects, the mind and the elements
of physical nature.

Thus clearly understanding by by discriminating logic (viveka-hetubhiH) the
unique position of the Absolute Truth (Brahman), one should expertly refute
one's misidentification with matter and cut to pieces all doubts about the
Atman. Becoming satisfied in the soul's natural ecstasy, one should desist from
all lusty entanglements of the material senses.

The material body made of earth is not the true self; nor are the senses,
their presiding devas or the air of life; nor is the external air, water or
fire or one's mind. All these are simply matter. Similarly, neither one's
intelligence, material consciousness nor ego, nor the elements of ether or
earth, nor the objects of sense perception, nor even the primeval state of
material equilibrium can be considered the actual identity of the soul.


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