What are the various levels of bhakti Sri Vishvanatha analyzes in the Gita?
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Hare Krishna. Question, can you explain the various levels of bhakti practitioners as explained by Vishwanath Chakravarthy Thakur? You mentioned in the lecture that he talks about various intricate levels. So can you please explain them? Answer, yes certainly.
Vishwanath Chakravarthy explains that bhakti can be broadly of three kinds. There is kevala bhakti, pradhanibhut bhakti and gunibhut bhakti. So kevala bhakti is pure devotion.
Where he says those who are pure devotees practicing only bhakti, they will attain golokundavan. They have no other motive. Anyabhilashidashunyam jnanakarmadyanavrtam.
What he has talked about is the definition of pure bhakti that they are practicing. Then there can be pradhanibhut bhakti. Pradhanibhut bhakti means the bhakti is the pradhan element.
So bhakti is the pradhan, the principal element. Bhakti is more than 50 percent and other things might be there in it. There may be the gunas, there might be, bhakti is the only transcendental process, karma, jnana, yoga, karma yoga, jnana yoga, ashtanga yoga.
These are processes which are mixed with the modes. So when the influence of these modes of these processes is less than 50 percent that is called as the pradhanibhut bhakti and pradhanibhut leads to the attainment of Vaikuntha usually in Shantarasa. Then there is the gunibhut bhakti.
Gunibhut bhakti is where there is bhakti but it is less than 50 percent and the other processes are more than 50 percent. So in such a case the yogis, the transcendentalists, they will attain brahmajyoti and further if we see, we can see here that he says that those who practice yoga in terms of those who are karmi, those who are gyanis or yogis, if they add bhakti to their sadhana then they can attain Vaikuntha, they can attain brahmajyoti rather not Vaikuntha. Now within this broad classification, kevalabhakti, pradhanibhut bhakti and gunibhut bhakti, within that he further classifies especially in 9.27 in the Bhagavad Gita.
So we can look at 9.27. It states that So this was whatever you do, whatever austerity you perform, whatever work you do, whatever charity you give, give it, offer it to me. Now Krishnaji Krithakur calls this as So he says it is bhakti, it is pradhanibhut bhakti, that means it is still, it is primarily bhakti, more than 50 percent is bhakti but it is karmagyanamishra pradhanibhut. So let us see how he analyzes this level.
He says there is, it is not sakambhakti because they don't have material desires. It is not karma yoga because all activities are offered not just scripturally prescribed ones. Now in the process, in the practice of karma yoga, normally what is offered is the nitya karma, whatever is there, that is offered, bhagavatarpita, but here everything is offered, one of yad karoshi, yad yad tat, that means whatever you are doing or all of it.
So it is not jnana yoga because there is abundant appreciation of the lord's personal future. So here when we are offering something to someone, we understand this is the person and we want to, we appreciate him, we love him and we want to offer something to him. This is not just an abstract intellectual conception.
There is personal appreciation of the lord. So it is not jnana yoga and it is not kevala bhakti. Why is it not kevala bhakti? Because the first is doing the action, then is offering.
So first the person, yad karoshi, yad asanasi, first the person is doing certain things and after that one is offering and that's why it is considered to be not, it is not kevala bhakti or shuddha bhakti. It is mishra bhakti. Shuddha bhakti means that whatever one does, one does it for Krishna.
It's not that. So Krishna is the primary concern and whatever one does, that's fine. That means if Krishna wants a devotee to fight a war like Arjuna and Hanuman, they fight a war.
If Krishna wants a devotee to renounce the world like he wanted Uddhava, the devotee will do that. So the activity is not important. The intent of the activity is important.
So that is kevala bhakti and So this is uttama, Prahlada Maharaj says. That what is uttama? That whatever one is doing, one is doing it for the sake of the Lord. That is uttama bhakti and this is not uttama bhakti.
This is pradhani bhuta bhakti. So this is how it is. It's karma, jnana, mishra, pradhani bhuta.
So now in this particular case, there is the understanding that there is the varyat karo, shi. There is the understanding. One is doing work.
So that's why it's karma mishra. One also understands that there is an intellectual component to it. One understands that whatever one is doing, one should offer to the absolute truth.
So there is the jnana element also in it and that's why it is karma, jnana, mishra, pradhani bhuta, bhakti and this is contrasted with which culminates in bhakti yoga, which ultimately leads to liberation. So in the 18th chapter, Krishna talks about, when he talks about varanashrama vibhagasaha, he says, when he talks about varanashrama, then he says that So with your work, worship him, he says. And after that, he says that that comes in 18.46 and then 18.56, he says, so from 18.46, one moves upward, upward.
So that is bhagvatarpit karma yoga. Then after that, from 18.49 to 53, Krishna describes jnana yoga and then 18.54, Krishna describes how jnana yoga culminates in bhakti yoga and 18.54, 18.55 and with bhakti yoga, one understands Krishna and truth and attains him. So this is a gradual ascension from karma yoga to bhagvatarpit karma yoga to jnana yoga to brahman realization to kevala bhakti.
And then from 18.56, Krishna drops down a rapid ladder where he says that So, he says that whatever work one is doing, if one makes me the ultimate goal and takes off, takes shelter of me, then by my mercy, he will attain the supreme destination. So this we see, whatever is bahunam janmanamante, a gradual ascension that can be done rapidly through the elevator-like swift process of bhakti. So in this way, Vishwanath Chakrathakur analyzes the process the analysis of Bhagavad Gita's various verses in many intricate stages and establishes the conclusive supremacy of kevala bhakti.
Thank you.