Bhakti yoga

[nanda chandran]

Regarding the recent discussions on Bhakti Yoga, here are a few verses from
Upadesha Saahasri to contemplate on :

As it is said in the shruti ,’pleasure and pain do not touch one who is
bodiless’, bodilessness is not the result of actions. The cause of our
connection with a body is action. Therefore an aspirant after knowledge
should renounce actions. – 15.6

Just as when jars and other things get revealed the sun and other luminous
bodies are called the agents of revealing those things on account of their
proximate existence only (but are not really agents); so the Self which is
pure consciousness is called a knower only on account of its proximate
existence to things known, but is not really an agent. – 15.45

Liberation becomes artificial and transitory according to the philosopher
who holds that it is a change of one state into another on the part of the
Self. Again it is not reasonable that it is a union with Brahman or
separation from nature. As both union and separation are transitory,
liberation cannot consist of the individual self going to Brahman or of
Brahman coming to it. But the Self, one’s own real nature is never
destroyed. For it is uncaused and cannot be accepted or rejected by oneself
or by others while other things (e.g. states etc) are caused. - 16.39-41

Consciousness which is of the nature of the eternal Self is superimposed on
the intellect. This indiscrimination is also beginningless (like the
ignorance to which it is due). This indiscrimination and nothing else is
what is called transmigratory existence.

The removal of this indiscrimination and nothing else is what is called
liberation, as all other conceptions of it are unreasonable. It is the
destruction of the Self according to those who consider liberation to be the
change of the individual Self into a different being. - 16.61-62

As the truth of the scriptures may never be doubted one should always
remember that one identified with Brahman has nothing to accept or reject. -
17.68

Let the transmigratory condition then only be a delusion due to the
indiscrimination between the Self and the non-Self. It always has an
apparent existence due to the real existence of the changeless Self and
therefore appears to be pertaining to it. - 18.45

The intellect has no consciousness and the Self no action. The word “knows”
can therefore reasonably be applied to neither of them.

The word “knowledge” in the sense of knowing cannot similarly be applied to
the Self. For the Self is not a change only which is indicated by an action
as it is taught in the shruti that it is eternal.

The word “knowledge” is the sense of the instrument of the action of
knowing, is applied to the intellect and not to the Self as an instrument
cannot exist without an agent. Neither is the word in the sense of that
which is the object of the same action, can be applied to the Self.

The Self is never knowable and is not directly denoted by any word according
to those who hold that it is eternally changeless, free from pain and one
only. - 18.54-57

The ego which is pervaded by the reflection of consciousness is called the
knower or the agent of the action of knowing. One who knows oneself (the
witness) to be distinct from all these three is a real knower of the Self. -
18.120

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