[Advaita-l] Bhakti leads to Jnana

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

Today (Margashirsha Shukla 11) is known as Mokshada Ekadashi or Gita 
Jayanti because it is is the anniversary of that day when at the 
commencement of the momentous battle of Kurukshetra.  I was going to write 
about a completely different topic in the Gita but when I opened my copy 
it fell open at these shlokas:

[Krishna Bhagavan says:]

machchittA madgatprANA bodhayantaH parasparam .
kathayantashcha mAM nityaM tuShyanti cha ramanti cha ..10.9..

"With their thoughts on Me, with their life absorbed in Me, always explaining
to each other and narrating [My deeds][1] they are always content and 
happy."

teShAM sattatayuktAnAM bhajatAM prItipUrvakam .
dadAmi buddhiyogaM taM yena mAmupayanti te ..10.10..

"To these who are ever-joined [in Me] worshiping Me with love I give that 
buddhiyoga by which they come to Me."

Shankaracharya explains:

To them who are "ever-joined"[2] worshipping me not for any ulterior 
motive but purely out of love for Me, I give the right knowledge of my 
true nature by which they who worship me "With their thoughts on me" etc. 
know me, the Parameshwara, the Self, as their own self.[3]


[1] bhakti is not a solitary pursuit.  The bhakta love to recount to each 
other and discuss the meanings of all that Bhagavan does.

[2] Note yukta has the same root as yoga.  The aim of yoga (of whatever 
variety) is to make a steady, unbreakable connection to the divinity.

[3] And this is the ultimate goal of bhakti. Not to get close to Bhagavan 
but to know Him as ones own self and the self of all.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>