Yoga, a tool to reach the Divine........Gnana yoga

GnAna yoga is one of the tools of yoga used to Realise God.

GnAna means Knowledge. Knowledge of what? Is accumulation of information in different fields  called Knowledge? Then, which field of Knowledge helps one, for the realisation  of God?

Accumulation of  information in different sciences is not  called Knowledge in spiritual terms. Spiritual science demands that knowledge  which elevates ones' self above worldly planes to Divine planes. Here, GnAnam (knowledge ) refers to Thathva GnAnam,  Adhyathmagnanam.

In Kshetra kshethragna  vibhaga Yoga, Lord Sri Krishna  clearly, in detail, explained what is called GnAnam, which Knowledge helps one to realise Divine.

               AmAnithvamadambithvamahimsA sAnthirarjavam

               AcharyopAsanam sowcham aAthmavinigrahaha

   

    IndriyardEshu veiragyamanahamkAra Evacha

    Janma Mruthyu jarA VyAdhi DuhkhadOshAnu darsanam             

                Asakthiranabhishvangam puthradArAgruhadishu

                Nithyamhi samachitthathvam  Istanistopapatthishu

    

    MaichananyayogEna bhakthiravyabhi chariNi

    VivikthadEsa sEvithvamarathirjanasamsadi.

                 AdhyathmagnAna Nithyathvam ThathvagnAnArdha darshinam

                 Ethathgnanamithi prOktham  yadathOnyado ThadhA.

   The above mentioned five slokas describe the salient characteristics, which compose

Comprehensively the Knowledge, required to realise the Parabrahman. They are.....

Humility, Pridelessness, Non-violence, Peacefulness, Forbearance, Respect towards Gurus and elders, Internal and external purity, Self control ....(1st sloka Essence.)

Dispassion towards sensual joys, Egolessness, Seeing  the pain of birth, death, old age and disease..........(.2nd sloka essence.)

Detachment towards worldly attachments like son, wife and house, Balanced mind in all 

Circumstances whether desirable or undesirable ........(3rd sloka essence)

Unflinching  devotion towards Almighty,  withered desires, Love towards solitude,

Mind, ever oriented towards Spirituality and Self Realisation.....(.essence of 4th and 3rd   Slokas )All these righteous qualities together  comprise  knowledge, which like Fire, purifies the  heart when adopted into ones' personality.

The above mentioned definition of Gnana is referring to the  nature of Divine.

Hence, what GnAna yoga advocates to us is  Replication of Divine qualities.

Gnana yoga means not acquisition of knowledge, but it is transformation of a person

To a pure,Righteous  personality. A sacred behaviour, replicating Divine nature.  Purity to its' perfection. To be human is genuine and easy.But to be Divine is tough and acquirable by

Deliberate efforts.Once achieved, you will be linked to Devine.

Here, Gnana Yoga propogates SathbhAvana, Sathchinthana, Sathpravarthana.

One need not read,One need not debate, one need not leave everything.But the only thing  GnAna yogi requires is an absolute, pure personality with the Knowledge mentioned in those above five slokas. 

Pure personality, pure behaviour purifies the Mind and connects to the Almighty.

So, GnAna yoga means Personality development campaign. 

A pure heart automatically sees the light of Truth in the Self.

A GnAna Yogi, having had the realisation of truth,immediately attains Supreme bliss,

Supreme peace. The Goal achieved.

                  Yadheighamsi samiddhognir bhasmAth kuruthErjuna

                     GnAgni SarvakarmANi bhasmAth kuruthE ThadhA .

As a blazing fire turns fuel to ashes, ArjunA! Similarly the fire of  Knowledge  turns all

Actions to ashes.

                   Nahi GnAnanEna  sadrusam,  Pavithramiha vidyathE       

                   That swayam yogasamsiddhah kAlE nAthmani vindathi.

On earth, no purifier is as powerful  as Knowledge. Paramathma reveals on its' own

When GnAna  yogi becomes self purified.

How to know whether self purified or not? What are the indications?

Sri Adi Sankaracharya, in his DakshiNA murty sthothram explains very clearly

           

    Nana chidra ghatodarasthitha mahA deepa Prabha  bhaswarm,   

     GnAnam yasyathi chakshuradikaraNa dwarA Bahim spandathe 

    

When a GnAna Yogi ripens with wisdom, Self purified, that GnAnam reveals through  All

Five sense organs in the form of Light just like a lamp in a pot of holes expels light.

Hence,the physical format of GnAnam is  Light only.,Brightness only. ,nothing else.

After self realisation GnAni looks ThEjaswi. Brightness spreads entire body.

This is how GnAni transforms to mahA Yogi.

Next blog speaks about Bhakti yoga.

         

                              Gitauvacha