Do devotees have to go through Brahman realization to attain Bhagavan realization?
Question.
Do devotees have to go through Brahman realization to attain Bhagavan realization? You mentioned in one of your classes that material life is like a negative axis. Brahman realization is like the zero point and spiritual life and spiritual activities are like the positive axis. So, to go from the material to the devotional, spiritual devotional, do we have to go through the impersonal realization also? Does that mean that one has to become a gyani and cultivate gyan in order to realize Brahman? Answer.
Devotees get the realization of Brahman just by their practice of devotion. And it is not a realization that they look forward to or cherish. It is a realization they understand.
This is just a aspect of Krishna which also exists. So, now do devotees actually go through Brahman realization to attain Bhagavan? In the sense that, is it that devotees first realize Brahman and then realize Bhagavan? No, it's not like that. Devotees focus always in Bhagavan and the Bhagavan has manifested as the deity.
Bhagavan manifested as pastimes and the devotees focus on the deity, the pastimes, the holy name and that way they develop a relationship, realization, more and more on realization of Krishna and just as spiritual advancement leads to a realization of Krishna, increasing realization of Krishna's relationship with everything. So, similarly, it also leads to the realization of Krishna's relationship with Brahman. That means, initially we see matter as something which has to be renounced.
That's quite often the tendency. But as we realize more and more advanced, we understand that matter is also Krishna's energy. It can also be used in Krishna's service.
And often, advanced devotees can see even in material things, opportunities to remember Krishna. So, Brahmapada would see just a flatbed truck and see there an opportunity to place Jagannath and convert it into an improvised Ratha for Jagannath Ratha Yatra. So, that's how advanced devotee can connect even matter with Krishna in order to speak of Brahman with Krishna.
So, now the realization of matter's connection with Krishna comes not by first focusing on matter and then focusing on Krishna but rather by focusing on Krishna and then as one's understanding of Krishna deepens, then one sees the connection of Krishna with matter and matter with Krishna. Similarly, a devotee doesn't have to consciously dwell on Brahman to as if it's like a stage to pass through before coming to Bhagawan. No, a devotee simply focuses on Bhagawan and as one one's understanding of Bhagawan deepens, then one starts realizing that Bhagawan is connected with even Brahman in the sense that Bhagavad Gita teaches that Brahman is supported by Bhagawan.
So, in that way, devotees automatically just by the process of bhakti realize Brahman. So, devotees don't have to give up the path of bhakti and take up the jnana to get that realization and then again return to bhakti. Yes, there is a process that might be followed by some seekers but that is a process which may take to come to the conclusion of that Krishna is everything and I have to surrender to Vasudeva Sarvamiti 7.19 in the Gita talks about it.
So, the Bhagavad Gita does acknowledge that there is a gradual process of karma, jnana, dhyana and then bhakti but in the Bhagavad Gita also talks very clearly that one can start bhakti from wherever one is and move forward and directly one can attain Bhagawan realization. So, 18.54 is the verse which states that prior to 18.54 18.49-53 in the Bhagavad Gita talks about how one practices jnana yoga. So, prior to that is how one practices karma yoga.
So, from karma yoga to jnana yoga and then how jnana yogi comes to bhakti is talked about in 18.54 8.54 8.54 8.54 8.54 8.54 8.54 Now, from 18.56 onwards, Krishna gives an alternative process of elevation. It's like an elevator we could say. Whatever karma one might be doing, whether one is brahmachari, whatever karma one is doing, directly take shelter of me and and by that you will attain and then Krishna talks about I'll remove all obstacles.
He talks about direct Krishna consciousness. So, yes, there is a gradual step-by-process step-by-step process by which karmis, karmayogis, karmakandis, then karmayogis, then jnana yogis, they will go through the impersonal realization to come to Bhagawan. But devotees can start from wherever they are and from there they can directly connect with Bhagawan through the process of bhakti yoga and as their Bhagawan realization deepens, then they see Brahman not as a separate realization that they have to pass through but they see it as a subordinate feature of Bhagawan which only increases their appreciation of the glory of Bhagawan but which doesn't make them attracted to Brahman and they don't have to cultivate jnana to realize it because their realization is a Krishna centered realization.
It is a realization that Brahman adds to the opulence of Krishna. It is not that they have to starve their emotions in order to get the impersonal realization of Brahman. That's why devotees can directly attain focus on Bhagawan and they will eventually for a Brahman realization it will just be a passing realization which will be there which won't make much difference essentially to their essential relationship with Krishna.