Bhagavatam-daily 309 – 11.14.1 – See the diversity of paths neither fanatically nor uncritically

Thank you. So here, Buddha is asking Krishna, the Vedas describe many processes.
So among these, is there anyone that is recommended? Is there anyone that is preferable? And now Krishna will answer that in this chapter. Is there one that is supreme, Krishna? Arjuna, Buddha is asking. Pradhanyam.
This, Buddha’s question is very relevant for our present time, place, circumstance. In the sense that, it deals with ways in which we can move onwards in our relationship with Krishna through the steady practice of bhakti. That is the conclusion that the Bhagavad Gita draws.
Here dharma refers to various other processes for elevation. So essentially, when we live in this world, if we come to a crossroad, if we are travelling somewhere, then the crossroad often causes some amount of confusion and indecision if we don’t know where we are meant to go. Not only that, it also causes misdirection if we choose a wrong turn.
On the path which is given in the Vedas, Buddha is asking that, these are all which are recommended by the Vedas. So, it’s not so much like something is a wrong path, but he’s asking that, is there something which is less recommended and something that is more recommended? Is there a hierarchy in such recommendations? One of the primary steps in hermeneutics, hermeneutics refers to the study of methodological principles for understanding scripture. So, hermeneutics in that sense means, if you’re going to study scripture, how exactly are you going to study it? How exactly are you going to understand it? Now, in our day-to-day life, we usually, unless we are very scholarly, we don’t get into things like hermeneutics.
If we come to know a particular process, if it makes sense, then we adopt it. And if it makes us better, if we feel improved by it, then we continue on it. This is when patients go to a doctor, the patients basically don’t study all the characteristics of, all the issues that they may be facing.
The patients focus primarily on striving to take a medicine and go to a doctor. But suppose somebody is going to be a medical professional, then that person has to study the processes in far greater detail to understand which process to follow and which process to reject. And such following requires effort.
It requires investment of time, energy, thought. Only after that can one learn what one is supposed to do in life. Similarly, when we are spiritual seekers, we need to move progressively on our spiritual journey towards Krishna.
And a part of such progressive movement is the recognition that there can be many stops on the journey. And there can be many steps on the journey also. Stops refer to where we pause and take breaks.
Steps refers to where we move to a higher level. So normally steps are something which we refer to when we are climbing up something. Stops are what is referred to when we are going more or less horizontally on a road.
But spiritual progress involves both a stop, it doesn’t involve only one thing. Yes, there is a journey in the sense that there is a movement of the heart from the world towards Krishna and there is also a vertical movement. So, we’ll see in the Uddhava Gita, as it has been stated in the Bhagavad Gita, that there are various paths which all help in some level of elevation.
But that elevation is not equally swift and equally high or equally easy by all paths. There is one path which takes us rapidly up and which takes us to the highest level and which also takes us easiest to that highest level. That is the path of Bhakti.
And that’s why Krishna says, सरोधर्मान्प्रतित्यमानेकंशर्णम्रजः Still, the other paths are good for people who cannot follow the path of Bhakti. And understanding the interplay, interrelationship between various paths is subtle. A dismissive attitude towards all other paths is fanatical.
And it’s not even faithful to scripture actually, at least in the whole body of scripture. The other paths are also talked about in scripture. At the same time, an uncritical and equal endorsement of all paths as is done when people say all paths lead to the same goal.
That is also wrong because that involves not studying scripture to its conclusion. So, this complex issue which requires a nuanced and balanced understanding, that issue Krishna will address in this chapter in response to Uddhava’s very important and natural question that will come to anyone who studies the broad body of Vedic literature. Thank you.