Best of Jnana Yoga
THE YOGA OF WISDOM
(Jnana-Vibhaga Yoga)
Lord Krishna said, O Bharata! Whenever righteousness
declines and unrighteousness
becomes powerful, then I Myself come to birth. For the
protection of the good, for thedestruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness I am born from age to age.
In whatever way men approach Me, so do I reward them: men
follow in every way My path, Oson of Pritha. He who sees inaction in action and
action in inaction, he is wise among men, he is a Yogi, even while performing
all actions. Whose undertakings are all destitute of desires and purposes and
whose actions have been burnt by the fire of knowledge him the wise have called
a Saint.
Without hope, with the mind self-controlled, having
abandoned attachment to the fruit of
actions, all greed and envy, always content with whatsoever
he obtains without effort, free from the pairs of opposites, balanced in
success and failure, with his thoughts established in Brahman, he is not doing
anything, although doing actions; he is not bound, though acting.
Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the clarified butter; by
Brahman is the oblation
poured into the fire of Brahman; Brahman verily shall be
reached by him who always sees Brahman in action.
Some Yogis perform sacrifice to Devas; while the Jivanmuktas
offer the Self in the fire
Brahman. Some again offer hearing and other senses in the
fire of restraint. Others again sacrifice all the functions of the senses and
the breath in the fire of Yoga of self-restraint kindled by knowledge. Others
again offer wealth, austerity, study of scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice.
Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the
incoming and the incoming in the outgoing. Superior
Know that by long prostration, by question and service; the
wise who have realised the
Truth will instruct thee in that knowledge. Even if you art
the most sinful of all sinners, yet you shalt verily cross all sins by the raft
of knowledge. Just as the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does
the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ashes.
The man who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and who
has subdued the senses and
obtains this knowledge and having obtained knowledge he goes
at once to the Supreme Peace.
The ignorant, the faithless, the doubting self goes to
destruction; there is neither this world, nor the other, nor happiness for the
doubting. Therefore, with the sword of knowledge cut asunder the doubt of the
Self born of ignorance, residing in the heart and take refuge in Yoga. Arise, O
Bharata.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 7
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious
practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at
that time I descend Myself.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 8
paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the
miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent
Myself millennium after millennium.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 27
sarvanindriya-karmani
prana-karmani capare
atma-samyama-yogagnau
juhvati jnana-dipite
Those who are interested in self-realization, in terms of
mind and sense control, offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the
vital force [breath], as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 13
catur-varnyam maya srstam
guna-karma-vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam
viddhy akartaram avyayam
According to the three modes of material nature and the work
ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And,
although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the
non-doer, being unchangeable.
Chapter 4, verse 18
karmany akarma yah pasyed
akarmani ca karma yah
sa buddhiman manusyesu
sa yuktah krtsnakarmakrt
One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, is a
wise person. Such a person is a yogi and has accomplished everything.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 24
Brahmarpanam brahma havir
brahmagnau brahmana hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyam
brahma-karma-samadhina
A person who is fully absorbed in Krishna
consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full
contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and
that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 29
apane juhvati pranam
prane 'panam tathapare
pranapana-gati ruddhva
pranayama-parayanah
apare niyataharah
pranan pranesu juhvati
And there are even others who are inclined to the process of
breath restraint to remain in trance, and they practice stopping the movement
of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and incoming breath into the
outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Some of
them, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself, as
a sacrifice.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 39
sraddhaval labhate jnanam
tat-parah samyatendriyah
jnanam labdhva param santim
acirenadhigacchati
A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge
and who subdues his senses quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 41
yoga-sannyasta-karmanam
jnana-sanchinna-samsayam
atmavantam na karmani
nibadhnanti dhananjaya
Therefore, one who has renounced the fruits of his action,
whose doubts are destroyed by transcendental knowledge, and who is situated
firmly in the self, is not bound by works.
Chapter 5, Verse 7
yoga-yukto visuddhatma
vijitatma jitendriyah
sarva-bhutatma-bhutatma
kurvann api na lipyate
One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who
controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him.
Though always working, such a man is never entangled.
Chapter 5, Verse 8-9
naiva kincit karomiti
yukto manyeta tattva-vit
pasyan srnvan sprsan jighrann
asnan gacchan svapan svasan
pralapan visrjan grhnann
unmisan nimisann api
indriyanindriyarthesu
vartanta iti dharayan
A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in
seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping and
breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all.
Because while speaking, evacuating, receiving, opening or closing his eyes, he
always knows that only the material senses are engaged with their objects and
that he is aloof from them.
Chapter 5, Verse 13
sarva-karmani manasa
sannyasyaste sukham vasi
nava-dvare pure dehi
naiva kurvan na karayan
When the embodied living being controls his nature and
mentally renounces all actions, he resides happily in the city of nine gates
[the material body], neither working nor causing work to be done.
Chapter 5, Verse 18
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with
equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a
dog-eater [outcaste].
Chapter 5, Verse 27-28
sparsan krtva bahir bahyams
caksus caivantare bhruvoh
pranapanau samau krtva
nasabhyantara-carinau
yatendriya-mano-buddhir
munir moksa-parayanah
vigateccha-bhaya-krodho
yah sada mukta eva sah
Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes
and vision concentrated between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and
outward breaths within the nostrils--thus controlling the mind, senses and
intelligence, the transcendentalist becomes free from desire, fear and anger.
One who is always in this state is certainly liberated.
After explaining the above principles of liberation in the
Supreme, the Lord gives instruction to Arjuna as to how one can come to that
position by the practice of the mysticism or yoga, known as Kriya-yoga, which
is divisible into an eightfold procedure called yama, niyama, asana, pranayama,
pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
1. Yama (The
five "abstentions"): non-violence, non-lying, non-covetousness,
non-sensuality, and non-possessiveness.
2. Niyama (The
five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerity, study, and
surrender to god.
3. Asana:
Literally means "seat", and in Patanjali's Sutras refers to the
seated position used for meditation.
4. Pranayama
("Suspending Breath"): Prana, breath, "ayama", to restrain
or stop. Also interpreted as control of the life force.
5. Pratyahara
("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external
objects.
6. Dharana
("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object.
7. Dhyana
("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of
meditation.
8. Samadhi
("Liberation"): merging consciousness with the object of meditation.
Chapter 5, Verse 29
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
The sages, know Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices
and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all the Worlds, the benefactor and
well-wisher of all living entities. They attain eternal peace from material
miseries by renunciating the fruits of their actions to the Supreme Lord.
Short Story on how
SUKA attained Highest
State
Raja Rishi Viswamitra said to Lord Rama: "You know all
that should be known. You and Rishi Suka are full of spiritual wisdom. Both of
you have attained equally the highest wisdom, but you need to acquire the state
of quietness and stillness."
Lord Rama: "O, please inform me how Brahm Rishi Suka
achieved wisdom without quiescence of mind, and how he secured that blissful
state?"
The Master: "Rishi Suka had absolute spiritual wisdom
which is the only sword to cut the rope of re-birth. Once he tried to inquire
of the origin of things, as you are doing, and he then became doubtful of his
wisdom. The object of his mind became disturbed, but he was free from sensual
desires. Rishi Suka went to the Himalaya Mountains
to his father, who was one of the Masters there, and asked for instruction that
he might not lose his faith.
Thus he said to his father: 'O Father, from whence came all
this Maya (illusion), which produces misery and darkness? How did it originate?
How may it be destroyed?' What part does it play in the origin of the
universe?' His father replied with wisdom, as he did unto all others, but his answer
did not dispel his son's doubt. Suka said to his father: 'I know all that'. And
alas! his father was unable to remove his doubt. His father then requested him
to go to King Janaka, who was the highest being in spiritual wisdom of his
time.
"Rishi Suka left the Himalaya
Mountains and later approached the golden gates of the King's
palace. Although the King was aware of Brahm Rishi's (Suka) arrival, he refused
to go forth and meet him. He requested that the Rishi should not be admitted
into his palace, as he wanted to test the sincerity of his mind. Rishi Suka
waited full seven days at the golden gate.
At last he was conducted into a magnificent hall where
beautiful women were indulging in worldly enjoyments. But Suka's mind did not
lose its balance. He was not affected by the unjust act of the King in making
him wait seven days at his gate, nor was he moved by the disgraceful conduct of
worldly association.
The King came and addressed him thus: 'O, Brahm Rishi (there
are three kinds of Rishis), you have reached the highest state. The worldly
joys and sorrows do not affect thee. I beseech you to tell what has brought you
here?' Rishi Suka asked: 'What has caused my illusion? How does it generate?
How can it be destroyed? Please instruct me.' The King gave him the same
explanation that his father had given him.
Rishi Suka returned: 'I know that, and my father gave me the
same information. If Maya (illusion) which is produced by a differentiation of
one Atma as breath, etc.) and merged again into the Atma, then no benefit can
be derived from this perishable Maya (illusion). O Highest Guru, Please tell me
how to dispel this delusion of my mind! Please enlighten me on this matter.'
"The King: ‘You have known what should be known, but
still you ask me—although your father has instructed you alright. The
enlightenment we have given to you is the real one. Atma alone, is that which
is everywhere, just as the ether pervades all space and atmosphere. Wisdom is
bound by nothing else but its own thought. Freeing yourself from sensual
thoughts, is freeing yourself from bondage. You have clearly realized the Atmic
wisdom for you have given up all longing for sensual objects. You have by your
own efforts, through the higher mind, reached the highest Brahmic State
But one thing you have yet to accomplish—that of giving up
the delusion of the illusion which has arisen through doubt in your mind. When
you have accomplished this, then you will be free.' King Janaka thus initiated
Rishi Suka into the Atmic mysteries, where he acquired the highest state of
wisdom, and was freed from all misery, doubt, death and rebirth. He lived for
1000 years, then merged into that higher wisdom, which is Brahm. As water
returns to the ocean, so the light which departs from the "I",
returns to the higher light (Atma), and becomes Brahm. Thus Rishi attained that
liberation, which is above all else. O Rama, you should follow the same path.
"To become a slave of desire is bondage; to master it,
is liberation. Master your desires and become indifferent to worldly
enjoyments; become a Jivanmukta (emancipated embodiment), without the
assistance of austerities of religions; follow the path of wisdom and you will
realize the reality. O Rama, there is but one person who can remove the doubt
from your mind, and that is the Omniscient Vashishta, who knows the past,
present, and the future. He is the Guru (spiritual teacher) of all
mankind."
Chapter 5, Verse 29
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
The sages, know Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices
and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all the Worlds, the benefactor and
well-wisher of all living entities. They attain eternal peace from material
miseries by renunciating the fruits of their actions to the Supreme Lord.
Chapter 6, Verse 8
jnana-vijnana-trptatma
kuta-stho vijitendriyah
yukta ity ucyate yogi
sama-lostrasma-kancanah
A person is said to be established in self-realization and
is called a yogi [or mystic] when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired
knowledge and realization. Such a person is situated in transcendence and is
self-controlled. He sees everything--whether it be pebbles, stones or gold--as
the same.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 17
yuktahara-viharasya
yukta-cestasya karmasu
yukta-svapnavabodhasya
yogo bhavati duhkha-ha
He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping,
working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga
system.
Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending
and mating--which are demands of the body--can block advancement in the
practice of yoga. As far as eating is concerned, it can be regulated only when
one is practiced to take and accept prasadam, offered to Lord Krishna first.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 26
yato yato niscalati
manas cancalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
atmany eva vasam nayet
From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its
flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it
back under the control of the Self.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 34
cancalam hi manah Krishna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva su-duskaram
For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very
strong, O Krishna , and to subdue it is, it
seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 46
tapasvibhyo 'dhiko yogi
jnanibhyo 'pi mato 'dhikah
karmibhyas cadhiko yogi
tasmad yogi bhavarjuna
A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the
empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all
circumstances, be a yogi.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 47
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great
faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately
united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 2
jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam
idam vaksyamy asesatah
yaj jnatva neha bhuyo 'nyaj
jnatavyam avasisyate
I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both
phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to
be known.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 3
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for
perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in
truth.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 4
bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false
ego--all together these eight comprise My separated material energies.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 8
raso 'ham apsu kaunteya
prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh
pranavah sarva-vedesu
sabdah khe paurusam nrsu
O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the
sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether
and ability in man.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 9
punyo gandhah prthivyam ca
tejas casmi vibhavasau
jivanam sarva-bhutesu
tapas casmi tapasvisu
I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat
in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all
ascetics.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 10
bijam mam sarva-bhutanam
viddhi partha sanatanam
buddhir buddhimatam asmi
tejas tejasvinam aham
I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence
of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 14
daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of
material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto
Me can easily cross beyond it.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 30
sadhibhutadhidaivam mam
sadhiyajnam ca ye viduh
prayana-kale 'pi ca mam
te vidur yukta-cetasah
Those who know Me as the Supreme Lord, as the governing
principle of the material manifestation, who know Me as the one underlying all
the demigods and as the one sustaining all sacrifices, can, with steadfast
mind, understand and know Me even at the time of death.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 19
bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma su-durlabhah
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in
knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all
that is. Such a great soul is very rare.
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