Sharing Sanjivani (Sanjivani - Life Saving Herb)

Chapter (168) How to select the right path of yoga for self realization ?

(168) How to select the right path of yoga for self realization?

AETAVANEV YOGEN SAMGRENEH YOGINA: I
YUJYATEABHIMATO HYARTHO YADSAHNGSTU KRUTSTRASHA: II
(Shrimad Bhagavad 3/32/ 27)

The one and only fruit of all the yoga is the detachment to sansar totally. As it is said in Shrimad Bhagavat by Ved Vyasji.To be detached from the favorable or unfavorable situation, to feel steadiness in joy and sorrow and to remain aloof from pain and gain inwardly is the real position of a Sadhak i. e. to be free from all the confusion and duality. When we want to feel oneness with God , we have to create eagerness and we should feel longing for knowing the real substance i.e. Paramatma with curiosity. This is the function of 'CHAITANYA Tatva in our body , a soul and when we have desires to accumulate all the worldly things ,it is because of our attachment to non living, perishable body and senses. Every person longs for salvation but the fact is that every person is tempted to Sansar. His hunger is for 'real substance' but he is interested in 'perishable worldly things' because he tries to overcome his hunger of self –realization but he turns to perishable instrument and sources such as body and senses. This awakening of hunger of soul for Paramatma and interest of body and senses in worldly things create duality in his mind. This duality tightens his relation with Sansar very closely. When a Sadhak becomes free from envy and jealousy , his curiosity is accomplished and desires get subsides . It means that he becomes free from all kinds of duality.

NAVAI SHRUTAMAVIGNAYA VRUDDHANANUPASEVYA VA I
DHARMARTHO VEDITUM SHAKYAU BRUHASPATISAMAIRATYA II
(Mahabharat 5/39/4)

Ved Vyasji says in Mahabharat that even Bruhaspati ,Guru of Gods cannot know difference between religion and prosperity without getting the knowledge of Brahma and without serving elders in this world. It means that Sankhya yoga and karma yoga both are equally important for a Sadhak. Only ignorant persons define fruits of Sankhya yoga and karma yoga as different but a real scholar knows very well that a Sadhak can reach his goal of getting the knowledge of real substance and Paramatma by either of any yoga. In Bhagavad GITA Lord Shri Krishna explains Arjun to give up' form' of karma and to get knowledge from the saints ,great philosophers and Guru .Lord describes it as KARMASANYAS YOGA .Then Lord Krishna describes difference in body and soul and then he describes about the knowledge of Sankhya Shastra. Then Lord explains that Sankhya and Sanyas are synonyms. Lord Krishna further says that whoever thinks Sankhya and karma yoga as different path are not grown up people , they are like child only. Only those who know Sankhya yoga and karma yoga as one and the same are real scholars, They are the persons who have true knowledge of real substance because whichever way a Sadhak choose hid karma yagna either by following Sankhya yoga or by following karma yoga , he would be able to get the same fruit as the achievement of real substance i. e. Paramatma because they do not think about ways and paths ,instruments and sources to achieve the real substance , they see only result. Lord Shri Krishna says that both Sankhya yoga and karma yoga are two different types of instruments but the goal of both is the one and the same i. e. the accomplishment of Param Tatva.

SHRADDHAVIHINSYA TU NA PRAVRUTI:
PRAVRUTISHUNYASYA NA SADDHYA SIDDHI:
ASHRADDHAYAIVABHIHATASHCHA SARVE
MAJJANTI SANSARMAHASAMUDRE II
(Sarvavedant sar sangrah /212)

Aadi Shankaracharyaji says that a Sadhak should have faith in the words of Guru who has shown him the right path. It may be either a Sankhya yoga or a karma yoga. There is no activity or effort is possible without desiring fruit and without activity, effort or karma no goal could be achieved. If a Sadhak has no faith in whatever path he follows, he would surely be drowned in the ocean of Sansar again and again. If a person is full of knowledge of Shastra but if he has no faith on the way he selected to achieve his goal and involves in duality, he should be considered as a child only. If a person follows Gyan yoga his main activity becomes awakening of consciousness and if a Sadhak follows karma yoga his main activity becomes welfare of others. When both Sankhya yogi and karma yogi becomes successful on their efforts and activities, both would be eligible to get 'knowledge of real substance' or self realization .To do kartavya karma is karma yoga and to do nothing is Gyan yoga. A Sadhak gets fruit without doing any karma and by doing karma , the one and the same fruit i.e. BRAHMA GYAN then how could it be possible? The explanation is this : 'To do anything as kartavya and 'not to do anything ' as Gyan yogi feeling oneness with Paramatma thinking himself as AKARTA both are the instruments, they are not the destination or the ultimate truth. The goal is one and that is to acquire the real substance PARAMATMA . Hence both Sankhya yogi and karma yogi follow different paths but their destination is one i.e. real substance.

Generally we believe that by doing karma only we cannot have the knowledge of Brahma only Sankhya yogi can have the knowledge of PARAM BRAHMA but here Lord Shri Kishna explains Arjun that both Sankhya yogi and karma yogi become detached to Sansar and their attachment to their karma and its fruit is abolished in the end and hence both of them get the same fruit i.e. Paramatma. A Sankhya yogi thinks about detachment to sansar when he follows Sankhya yoga and karma yogi does his karma for the welfare of others hence he too remains detached to his karma and its fruit. A Sankhya yogi has to accept that he should not do anything for himself while a karma yogi does not do anything for his own entertainment of senses. Consciousness of Sankhya yogi helps him and he remains detached to Sansar while karma yogi's karma for others make him detached to Sansar.

KSHIRAM KSHIRE YATHA KSHIPTAM TELE JALAM JALE I
SAMYUKTAMEKATAM YANI TATHA TMANYATMAVINMUNI: II (567)

Just a milk poured into milk, oil poured into the vessel of oil, water poured into the vessel of water mix up uniformly in the same way a Sankhya yogi who knows BRAHMA feels unity with BRAHMA and with KARMA YOGi who knows Brahma equally

Then what is the difference between Gyan Yogi and Karma yogi?

Let's understand from our great guru Lord Shri Krishna...