[Advaita-l] ***UNCHECKED*** Re: Bhakti vs Jnaanam

[Kaushik Chevendra]

Great points from srinath sir.

On Fri, 31 Jul 2020, 01:51 Srinath Vedagarbha via Advaita-l, <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Namaste,
>
> On Wed, Jul 29, 2020 at 11:25 PM Kuntimaddi Sadananda via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> >
> > The reason is Bhakti is an essential ingredient for both karma yoga and
> > jnana yoga. Shankara defines Bhakti in the Vivekacudamani.
> > moksha kaarana saamaagryaam bhaktireva gareeyasi, sva svaruupaanu
> > sandhaanaam bhaktirityabhideeyate.
> >
> >
> Dvaitin's definition of bhakti is quite different just FYI;
>
> Srimad Anandatirtha defines bhakti thus: mAhAtmyaj~nAnapUrvakastu sadR^iDho
> snehaH bhaktiriti prochyate:
> That firm affection for the Lord, arising out of a full knowledge of His
> Majesty, is Bhakti.
>
> Here is an attempt to understand the term 'bhakti' from upanishats. For
> this we go to the last shlOka in shwEtAshwatara-upanishat.
>
> "yasya dEvE parA bhaktihi yathA dEvE tathA gurou |
> tasyithE kathithA hyarthAha prakAshantE mahAtmanaha
> prakAshantE mahAtmanaha ||
>


The upanishad also says 2.2-

*2. Rudra indeed is that one, without a second, who rules all these worlds
> with his supreme powers, who stands in front of all creatures, who protects
> the worlds He creates, also withdraws them in the end.*

 Here Rudra is one and no second so there is no duality even in the
Upanishad.
The same is repeated in atharvasiras Upanishad(mentioned in all 4
dharmasutras).
In 5.3where the Upanishad says-

5.3 He alone exists, in all organs where birth takes place

Might not be directly related but the very next quote 5.4-
5.4 He converts fire, air, water, earth, ether and everything that exists
here in to ash. He who sees this and mentally realizes it and observes the
“penance to Pasupathi (Lord of all beings)” and who coats ash all over his
body with this ash attains the state of Brahman. By worshipping “Pasupathi
(lord of all beings)” like this, the ties of bondage of all beings get cut
and they attain salvation.

So bakthi can be towards lord shiva as well to attain knowledge.






> (It is that great man ( mahAtma) who has supreme devotion ( parA bhakti) to
> dEva and also to Guru just as he has devotion to Deva (yathA dEvE)
> to whom all these things that are expounded ( tasya etE kathithA )
> become known ( arthAha prakAshantE).
>
> Thus, the Highest Guru and the Highest Deva or Parabrahman is One. In this
> spirit for Dvaitins,  Bhagavan Vyasa is both Highest Guru (of vedAnta) and
> also highest dEva (as He is avatara of Vishnu per vyAsAya vishNu rupAya...
> of VSN).
>


An excellent example of hari baktha is prahalada. In vishnu purana the
below dialogue of prahlada is addressed to visnu-
May he, ever to be meditated upon as the beginning of the universe, have
compassion upon me: may he, the supporter of all, in whom every thing is
warped and woven[8]
<https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/vishnu-purana-wilson/d/doc115955.html#note-e-58754>,
undecaying, imperishable, have compassion upon me. Glory, again and again,
to that being to whom all returns, from whom all proceeds; who is all, and
in whom all things are: to him whom I also am; for he is every where; and
through whom all things are from me. I am all things: all things are in me,
who am everlasting. I am undecayable, ever enduring, the receptacle of the
spirit of the supreme. Brahma
<https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/brahma#purana> is my name; the
supreme soul, that is before all things, that is after the end of all.

These words are from prahlada only.
The very next verse says-
THUS meditating upon Viṣṇu, as identical with his own spirit, Prahlāda
became as one with him, and finally regarded himself as the divinity: he
forgot entirely his own individuality, and was conscious of nothing else
than his being the inexhaustible, eternal, supreme soul; and in consequence
of the efficacy of this conviction of identity, the imperishable Viṣṇu,
whose essence is wisdom, became present in his heart, which was wholly
purified from sin. As soon as, through the force of his contemplation,
Prahlāda had become one with Viṣṇu.

I don't have the Sanskrit verses but the above translations are done only
by a nuetral authority only so no bias.
I have read English translation of 3 versions all say that prahlada prayed
to visnu as his ownself.


> /sv
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