Using jnana in bhakti

Talk to Bhagavata Vidyapeetha Students at Govardhana Eco-village, Wada

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
from this life to the next life and onwards. When he started the Shri Bhagavatam commentary, his introduction, he has put the whole biography of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as a living Bhagavatam.
And our Acharya has quoted in the Bhagavatam from the second chapter a lot. So, I will be talking about the role of Jnana in Bhakti. So, we see in the section from 1.2.6 to 1.2.22, there is a seeming contradiction.
First, after establishing that the Paradharma is Bhakti, then the Bhagavatam says the next verse, 1.2.7, that वासिदेवे भगवति भक्ति योधः प्रयोजितः जने अत्याशु वैराज्यम् यानं चेथ हैतु कम् So, it says that by the practice of Bhakti, when it is applied towards Vasudev, Jnana and Vairagya will come. Then after that, for the next four verses, the Bhagavatam gives the other processes of Dharma, how they are also subordinate to Bhakti. So, Jnana and Vairagya are subordinate to Bhakti.
The next verse says that धर्मस्वनुषितः पुंसामिश्वक्सेन कथासु नुवित्पागेति विद्गिति तिमिश्रमेवे केविनम् that Paranashram also is meant for developing Bhakti. Then what about the four Purusharthas? We come to the 8th and 9th verses. There we talk about, normally the thought of Dharma is for Artha, Artha is for Kama, from Dharma to Artha, then to Kama, then to Moksha.
But here the Bhagavatam says no. All of them are ultimately meant for Bhakti. धर्मस्यापवर्गस्यनार्थवर्धायोपकल्पति नार्थस्यदर्मेकान्तस्यकामोलाभायस्यता नार्थस्यापवर्गस्यनार्थवर्धायोपकल्पति Then after this, the Bhagavatam talks about what is the truth that is realized by Bhakti.
That is 11th verse, वदन्तितत्त्वितत्वंयद्ज्ञानवद्विन्भ्रम्हितिपरमात्मितिभग्वानतिशद्धि So, the Bhakti is the highest among all the reading processes. And we can realize the Tattva. What is the Tattva? That Brahman, Paramatman, Bhagwan, they are all अद्द्वय ज्ञान.
They are non-different. Now, after this, in the next verse, the Bhagavatam says, how is this Tattva to be realized? तच्छद्धानामुनयो ज्ञानवैराकियुत्तयापश्यंत्यात्मनिचात्मानंभत्याशुतःभीतया So here, Tattva was talked about in the previous verse, 11th verse. That Tattva, how will we see it? पश्यंत्यात्मनिचात्मानं With our consciousness turned inwards, we are going to see it.
How? भक्त्या, with Bhakti. But significantly here the Bhagavatam says that ज्ञानवैराकियुत्तयाप. So Bhakti has to be practiced, equipped with Jnana and Vairagya.
This earlier, this five verse earlier Bhagavatam says that just by the practice of Bhakti, Jnana and Vairagya will come. But now the Bhagavatam is saying, while practicing Bhakti, the practice of Bhakti should be equipped with Jnana and Vairagya. So then, what does this mean? Do we only practice bhakti and jnana-dharagya will come? Or do we practice bhakti equipped with jnana and vairagya? So, Jiva Goswami in his Bhagwat Sandarbha analyzes the difference between the jnana of the jnanis and the jnana in bhakti.
So, he says in the bhakti circles, whenever jnana is condemned or jnana is downplayed, that is the shushka jnana of the impersonalists. And the difference between the jnana of the impersonalists and the jnana that is anukul to bhakti. There is a huge difference.
And he broadly talks about the difference. I will summarize that in three categories. In intent, in content and in consequence.
What is the difference between the jnana of the jnanis and in the bhaktas? So, in intent, the impersonalists want to merge in the absolute. So, whereas in intent, the devotees want to become devoted to the absolute. To completely become one, not in being, but one in loving.
To become one with the Lord in loving Him, in being absorbed in love, not in being. So, intent is different. And in content, the impersonalist jnana focuses on the oneness of the jiva and the Brahma.
Whereas in content, the bhakti jnana focuses on the difference between the jiva and the Brahma. Our focus is on the glories of Krishna. Indirectly what this means is, if you understand Krishna is infinitely glorious.
That means we are insignificant. So, the knowledge that is disapproved of is the knowledge that in a metaphysical sense, if we think that I am one with God, that knowledge is unfavorable. But in the extended metaphysical sense, that knowledge which makes us think that I am more and more great, that knowledge is pratikul to bhakti.
But as I said, the knowledge that increases in our awareness, the glories of the Lord, that knowledge is favorable. So, in content, when we study Shastra, if we are studying Shastra for the purpose of absorbing ourselves in Krishna’s glories, then that jnana is favorable. And the consequence of the impersonalist jnana is that they become hard-hearted.
Because in the impersonal path, the only emotions are material emotions. And material emotions are to be rejected. Then there are no emotions left in the heart.
But in the bhakti path, yes, we don’t want material emotions. But at another level, we understand that nothing is material if it is connected with Krishna. So, we want not just rejection of the material, but connection of everything, material and spiritual with Krishna.
So, a devotee experiences transcendental emotions. So, the devotee’s heart becomes soft-hearted. So, we are in intent, in content and in consequence.
When we devotees study Shastra, the approach is very different from the jnana of the jnanis, which is not approved by the racharyas. There is a folk tale associated with the Ramayana that after Valmiki, he wrote the Ramayana. At that time, so I’ll come to the story, but Bhagavatam, now if you see the same mood that jnana-vairagya-yuktaya, with jnana-vairagya, practice bhakti.
So, now, if you see two verses later, what does the Bhagavatam say that? yad anudhyasinayutthaha karma ganti nivandanam chinnandi govidas prase kona kuryat katharati So, the purpose of the Bhagavatam, what is that anudhya, we can absorb in Krishna. Later on, in the fifth chapter of the first canto, in the sixth chapter rather, when Narada Muni is instructing Vyasadeva, anudhya, he says, samadhinah anusvarabhicheshtitam. He says, in samadhi, remember the glorious activities of the Supreme Lord and then describe them.
So, the purpose of studying Shastra is to remember Krishna. And by that remembrance of Krishna, we can cut off, that is like a sword. It is a sword which cuts off the bond of karma.
Now, the metaphor of sword is often used in scripture. We see in the Bhagavad Gita in 4.42, Krishna states that at the end of the fourth chapter, the fourth chapter is called by Archarya as jnana-karma-jnasa-yoga. Or Prabhupada translated simply as transcendental knowledge.
So, there is a sthasmad-jnana-sambhuta-vitstham-jnana-asinatmana- chittvainam-samsenam-yogam-atishta-otishta-varah. So, here Krishna is using that jnana is like a asin, knowledge is like a sword. And later on, in 15.4, Krishna says, urdh-mula-madhah-shakam, in that chapter he says, asanga-shastrena-dhrudhena-jnitva.
So, there he is considering shastra, weapon is asanga, detachment. And here in the Bhagavatam it is saying, anudhyasena. So, the Bhagavatam earlier said that by bhakti, jnana and vairagya will come.
We have the Bhagavad Gita comparing jnana to a sword and vairagya to a sword. And the Bhagavatam says, bhakti, remembrance of Krishna is also like a sword. So, in one sense, that’s cutting function, cutting and detaching ourselves, dissipating of illusions, which can happen by jnana and vairagya, that can also happen by bhakti.
And when we study scripture, it is to cut off the illusions. And then, when we understand and we can absorb the remembrance of Krishna, then, kona-kuryat-katharati. So, the purpose of katharati is to become absorbed in the remembrance of Krishna and to cut off all other things which distract our consciousness from Krishna.
So, when Valmiki Muni heard this, he became very soothed. And then, he realized that… So, the mood of the story is to talk about the selflessness of the bhakti of Hanumanji and to illustrate. So, Valmiki Muni just said after this that we prayed and he saw the blessing of Hanumanji, prayed to Ram and then with a pure intention, then he asked Ram and Krishna to start broadcasting.
So, if we keep this purpose in mind that our purpose of shastra is primarily to absorb ourselves in remembrance of Krishna, then a lot of the obstacles in the study of shastra get removed. Because when we are studying shastra, the rajyoguna that is there within us, rajyoguna creates sometimes a competitive mentality where someone else knows more shastra than me, someone else can present shastra better than me, someone else can memorize better than me. And then, because of these, we get into unnecessary insecurity and distraction.
Insecurity whether I am studying properly or not. Distraction, maybe I have to do this, maybe I have to do that. So, yes, there is memorization of shastra which can facilitate remembrance of Krishna.
But the purpose is remembrance of Krishna. The purpose is not primarily memorization of shastra. Of course, memorization of shastra is not to be downplayed.
We put in a little effort in memorizing shastra. That does go a long way in helping, in giving us a template for remembrance of Krishna. You will say, remember Krishna.
What do I do when I try to visualize some form of somebody playing a flute? How do I remember Krishna? So, if we have some words which describes Krishna’s beauty, which describes Krishna’s merciful nature, then that becomes a template for us to remember Krishna. But sometimes if we forget this purpose, that the purpose of memorization of scripture is recollection of Krishna. We forget that, then we keep memorizing scripture and even if we succeed, then we don’t relish the scripture.
Kundashekhar Maharaj says, amnaya bhyasananya aranyaruditam. He says, studying of scripture is aranyaruditam. It is crying in the wilderness.
If there is no remembrance of Narayana. If one doesn’t remember Krishna. And Krishna also talks about, yadate mohakalinam buddhir vidhitarishyati.
So, if we keep that goal of remembering Krishna in mind, then according to whatever capacity we have, we study scripture and we share that scriptural understanding with others. Some of us, we have a lot of memorization capacity. R. V. Parashar Prabhu has a phenomenal memorization capacity.
His scriptural knowledge is eclectic. He is quoting from a wide variety of sources and bringing about excellent devotional points. So, a few of us may have this capacity.
Some of us, most of us may not have that. But the important point is remembering Krishna. And that opportunity is there for everyone.
How we remember Krishna, the specific forms will vary. But the opportunity to remember Krishna is always there with everyone. And the Bhagavatam, in this section, at the end, it says, atavai kavayo nityam bhaktim parayamudha vasudeve bhagvati kurvantya atma-prasadam So, again, there is a paradox in this verse.
Atavai kavayo nityam. Before, the kavi is constant, nityam. The word kavaya, similar word was used earlier, in Konakurya Katharati.
That, in the Madhyasinayat, karmagantirvanan chinnanti kovidastas. Kovida and kavaya, same root, similar root. So, now, atavai kavayo nityam bhaktim parayamudha.
Therefore, the sages, the wise people, they practice bhakti, joyful, bhaktim parayamudha, with great joy. Vasudeve bhagvati. The same words are used in 1.2.7. Vasudeve bhagvati.
And what is the conclusion? Kurvantya atma-prasadam. That this gives great joy to the heart. So, it is said that bhakti gives great joy to the heart, but it is also said that bhakti is practiced joyfully.
So, first it says, bhaktim parayamudha, with great joy and atma-prasadam. So, is it that bhakti gives great joy or is it that bhakti is to be practiced with great joy? So, chant Hare Krishna and be happy. Is this one instruction or are there two instructions? So, the point is, yes, as we become purified, as we become more and more situated in our spiritual nature, brahma-gupta-prasanna-atma, we will become joyful.
But till that time, till we have rajoguna, we have tamoguna, till that time, even our practice of bhakti will involve some struggles. So, when we are undergoing these struggles, we can be joyful that we are on the path to becoming joyful. Just like a patient who is sick, but the patient after a long, long struggle and multiple wrong diagnosis has finally found a medicine that works.
So, although the patient is not yet cured, but the patient is on the path to health. So, similarly, when we study Shastra, if we are filled with a lot of negativity, now this frustration, that frustration, this one issue, that issue, then, and again, if we have this competitive mentality, then we will not be able to Paramayamudha, we will not be able to study Shastra joyfully. And even if you study scripture, if you study it with a competitive attitude, I want to be more learned than this person, I want to show how much I know, then the central focus of remembering Krishna will be lost.
But we just understand that the root cause of all suffering is forgetfulness of Krishna. The ultimate solution to all suffering is remembrance of Krishna. And I have the opportunity to remember Krishna now.
So, even if I still have problems, but I am grateful and I am joyful that I am on the path to becoming joyful. So, we study scripture joyfully and by that we will become increasingly joyful. So, I will just summarize.
I started by saying how there is Gyan and Vairagya which will come as a fruit of Bhakti. But Gyan and Vairagya is also what we equip ourselves while practicing Bhakti. And that Gyan and Vairagya means, the Gyan is, the Gyan is unequal to Bhakti in intent, we want to become more and more devoted to Krishna.
In content, we want to understand his greatness. And consequence, we want to become soft hearted in relation to emotions of Krishna. And the Vairagya is that by being absorbed in remembrance of Krishna, we want to cut off our attachments to other worldly allurements.
So, whereas Gyan and Vairagya can themselves be swords, but Anudhyasina, the remembrance of Krishna can be the strongest sword. So, for us, as we remember Krishna, we equip ourselves with Gyan and Vairagya in the sense that we absorb ourselves in Krishna’s glories and we detach ourselves from the things which distract us from his glories. So, just as I said in the end, I gave the same point.
So, Gyan and Vairagya, it is something which will come gradually as you practice Bhakti. But at the same time, whatever Gyan and Vairagya we have, we use it with us. So, that same theme of things being not just causal, but also parallel.
That chant Hare Krishna and be happy. It’s causal. If I chant Hare Krishna, I’ll become happy.
But it’s not just causal, it’s also parallel. Let us talk about it now. So, we practice the process that will make us joyful, joyfully.
Avoid the competitive mentality that comes from shifting the focus away from remembrance of Krishna. And with the purpose of remembering Krishna, Bhakti can be practiced. Shastric study also can be practiced joyfully.
Thank you. Hare Krishna.