UDDHAVA GITA (Satpurusha, Bhakthi)

In the first part of the chapter 6 lord Krishna pointed out that Adwaitha Atma Gnanam alone is the means of liberation. All spiritual seekers will have to come to Adwaitha gnanam as presented in Vedanta. He should come to the conclusion that Adwaitha Vastu is no other than myself. I should know that Brahma satyam Jagat mithyam (mithya meaning names and forms). Everyone has to come to this knowledge to attain Moksha which is the only means of attaing Moksha. I can relax only after discovering this fact. This is what Krishna said in CH 6 up to verse 21. Krishna says that spiritual seekers will be very few only. Among those only very few will gain the knowledge says Krishna. This is the only method of attaining the lord. By preparing the mind you can make this knowledge easy to gain. It is easy for the prepared and difficult for the unprepared mind. From 22^nd verse onwards he says if you are not ready for Vedanta you need not worry. You can come to Karma yoga which is saguna bhakti. Krishna says by going to satsanga of knowledgeable people one can develop values.

Then Uddhava asks Krishna who is a satpurusha?  

Krishna has enumerated 30 virtues of a satpurusha. Those who have and who also value these virtues are to be associated with Satpurushas. I should start my Bhakthi exercise and make my Bhakthi a refined one. Artha and Ardhartha bhakthi is unrefined (bhakthi with a purpose) and I use for finite worldly benefits. They are called Sakama Bhakthi. I have to soon replace Sakama bhakthi with Nishkama Bhakthi. I gradually reduce family centric prayers and Me centric prayers and start praying for the whole humanity. This is Sarve Bhavanthu Sukinaka pooja wherein my Ahamkara (strong attachment to body mind complex) and Mamakara (strong attachment to family, possession and position) are gradually reduced. So long my Mamakara and Ahamkara are not diluted Moksha is far away for me. The notion that I am an individual is Jiva Bhava. Moksha is replacing Jiva Bhava by Brahma Bhava. Our destionation is from Jiva Bhava to Brahma Bhava. Aham Mama centered is Raga and Dvesha (likes and Dislikes). I am interested in me and my spouse as per my likes and dislikes. I extend this to my children and grand children and my thoughts are centered on me and my family. This is reinforcement of Jiva Bhava. I should know that Jiva Bhava and Spiritual wisdom are diagonally opposite. While strongly retaining the Jiva bhava when I study the Vedanta this study will be an academic study only. I can’t be liberated as Vedanta will never bless me. Jiva bhava and Brahma bhava will never coexist. Finite and infinite cannot coexist. One of the methods of dilution is converting all our poojas and prayers into Universal prayer and for the whole humanity. Sarve Jana Sukino Bhavanthu should be my prayer; Loka samasta sukino bhavanthu. It is difficult but we have to practice. We require a refined attitude wherein we include the whole humanity in our prayer. Exercises are mentioned in Vaidiga karma kanda. The same vaidiga karma becomes unpopular (doing sandyavandanam, agnihothram nithya karma). Vyasa said it should be replaced by Agama sastra forms of devotion in which worship of different deities are involved. Afterwards Sankaracharya talked about worship and 6 forms of deity. They are Shiva (saivam), Vishnu (vaishnavam), Shaptam (sakthi, Sri Vidya pooja), Ganapathya (ganapathi worship), Koumaram (name of Subramanya) and Sowram (surya devatha where surya is visible). Sankaracharya accepted all of these and said Chathurmasya is a Vedic ritual. If you don’t know Vaidiga karma it does not matter. It is ok to replace it by Agama pooja. In uddhava Gita Lord Krishna talks about Vaishnava form of worship. All these poojas are not for Moksha and meant only for preparing the mind. Thereafter all people will have to come to Vedanta by doing Shravanam, Mananam and Nidhithyasanam. One may start with Bhagavad Gita and then Upanishads and thereafter Brahma sutra. Ultimately we have to come to the knowledge “Aham Brahma asmi”. We should come to the conclusion Aham satyam Jagat Mithyam. One who acknowledges this fact is called a smartha. A Smartha knows that ‘I have to come to Aham Brahma asmi’. Whoever accepts this fact is called a Smartha. Adi Sankaracharya is a Smartha. Whoever is following Sankaracharya’s teachings is a Smartha. I have to purify my mind through Nishkama pooja.  

Be blissful

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com