Sharing Sanjivani (Sanjivani - Life Saving Herb)

Chapter(169)What is the difference between Gyan yogi and Karma yogi?

(169)

What is the difference between Gyan yogi and Karma yogi?

Aadi Shankaracharyaji in his Vivek Chudamani says that :

AGNANMULOAYAMANATMABANDHO NAISARGIKANA DIRANANTA ERIT: I
JANMAPYAYAVYADHIJARADI DU: KHA PRAVAHAYATAN JANAYATYAMUSHYA II (148)

An ignorant person accepts the bondage of sansar, involves in body and senses and hence this bondage remains for ever for him. His immortal soul has to join him in various bodies and various births and deathsbecomes witness of diseases and old age for timeless period from birth to death and death to birth.this bondage of Sansar which emerges out of ignorance cannot be cut off with any weapons or fire, wind or billions of karma but it can be cut off only with the grace of God with the sword of self –realization and awakening of consciousness.A Sadhak when becomes faithful devotee and follow Swadharma sincerely , his mind and intellect would be purified and this purified intellect makes it possible for him to get the knowledge of Param Brahma just as moss though emerges from water,envelops water , ignorance emerging from the fake attachment of Sansar , nvelops soul with the layer of Panch KOSH and when we keep away moss ,we can see water that quench our thirst, knowledge of Brahma enlightens our mind and intellect and we can see Paramatma .Hence every scholar and Sadhak should try to know the difference between Gyan yoga and Karma yoga, the right and the wrong, the truth and the untruth in this Universe.

This Sansar is full of complexity. Every relation though they may be very close ,would be full of complexity but Paramatma is stedy and crystal clear. There is no confusion on the path of Paramatma.When a Sadhak can free himself from Sansar and be totally detached to sansar , he could achieve the real destination i. e. Paramatma.Lord Shri Krishna suggests two paths Gyan Yoga and Karma yoga. Lord says that there is no short comings or scarcity of anything when you can free your self from sansar and surrender to me. All the short comings and scarcity emerges only in Sansar because there is no end of desires and ttachment .A person who understands this principle and accepts it as a Gyan yOgi and a Sadhak who accepts everything as Gods and thinks that he has given all the things and resources to serve others and he serves others with all his sources and strength, power and potentiality ; is a karma ogi.When a Sadhak utilize everything for others, he becomes detached to things and relations automatically. Hence a Gyanyogi becomes detached to Sansar with the help of his awakening of consciousness and a karma yogi becomes detached to Sansar by utilizing all his sources in the services of others without expecting anything as fruit of his karma and reward. Hence whoever sees karma yoga and Gyan yoga as the same instrument giving the same fruit can see the truth i. e. the real substance because whichever path of yoga a Sadhak accepts, he would reach the same destination i.e. self realization and knowledge of real substance.

DeHOAHAMITITYAV JADASYA BUDDHIRDEHE CHA JIVE VIRUPASTVAHAM DHI : I
VIVEKAVIGNANVATO MAHATMANO BRAHMAAHAMITYEV MATI : SADATMANI: II
(Vivek chudamani .Ch. 162)

An ignorant person thinks his body as 'I am', A scholar having incomplete knowledge or knowing only meanings of words of Shastra thinks that 'My body and soul is 'I am 'but a real scholar with his totally enlightened and awakening intellect knows that my truthful soul is a part of Universe and he thinks that ' I am Brahma'.When a Sadhak knows himself as a part of Brahma, he would no longer desires to live long or feel fear of death, he would be free from getting anything and free from doing any karma as he becomes a karta .He would be detached from Sansar. Our body is dying every moment it means that one day it would lose its existence but aoul is immortal.When something is dying every moment then why should we feel fear about its decaying and when something would live long forever (our Soul) as it is immortal then why should we desire to live long in the same body that grows old with time? When a knowledgeable person accepts the truth .he would be free from the desire to live long and fear of dying. This is known as Gyan yoga.

WE want to possess those things which we do not have with us or under our possessetion or authority and control. It means that we feel scarsity of that thing but our original self is immortal , it is a part of Paramatma , a Complete Brahma hence there is nothing to achieve or nothing to lose as it is a complete form of PURNA BRAHMA .when we do not have to achieve anything, we do not feel attachment to it and when there is no attachment to anything , we would be free from envy and jealousy. Hence a karma yogi can be free from ' the desire to get anything' and attachment to do something. HE becomes a karta and his kriyas and karma becomes Akarma. It means a Sadhak may follow Gyan yoga or Karma yoga, he would be free from all the four obstacles and temptation on the road to salvation as desire to live long, fear of death, temptation to get anything and pride and ego in doing anything.

MANA: PRASAD: PURUSHSYA BANDHO MANA: PRASADO BHAVBANDHAMUKTI: I

MANA: PRASADADHIGAMAYA TASMANMANO NIRASAM VIDADHITA VIDVAN II(374)

Attachment to things and relations create bondage and detachment to Sansar is Salvation that can free a Sadhak from all bondage. Hence a Sadhak should try to accomplish the escasty in real substance so that his mind full of desire and passion can be diverted to Paramatma. In Sankhya yoga a Sadhak tries to be steady in eternal enlightenment' and he becomes free from the bondage of mind while in karma yoga he abandons every non –living things and he utilizes everything in the services if others and he becomes free from the bondage and attachment of mind as Sansar. To utilize all the sources body and Sansar for others is karma yoga and to think our body and soul as separate is Gyan yOga. Both have the same destination i. e. to accomplishment of BRAHMA GYAN .

Then how to be a karma yogi before the accomplishment of Sankhya yoga?

Let's understand from our great God and Guru Lord Shri Krishna...