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Karma;bhakti;jnana

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vijayalu • February 6, 2003 


Dear members,

During a satsang discussion a learned person mentioned that Karma yoga is like flower; Bhaktiyoga is like unriped fruit and Jnana is like riped fruit.- Like they are different stages-   Where does Saranagati fit in?

Thank you
VKV

[ The satsang must have been conducted by a follower of an Advaita
  or neo-Advaita school, both of which are quite different from
  Sri Ramanuja's interpretation of the Vedanta. Leaving aside
  saranagati for a moment, in Advaita jnana-yoga represents the
  highest state of sadhana since it aims at knowledge of the
  undifferentiated unity of the Self, transcending all distinction.
  Both karma-yoga and bhakti-yoga must ultimately be abandoned
  in this scheme, as they rely on the notion of difference, which
  Advaita believes to be false.  In Sri Ramanuja's understanding
  this scheme is without foundation in both logic and scripture.
  An undifferentiated entity is a non-entity hence this is an
  impossibility.  In Sri Ramanuja's scheme both karma-yoga and 
  jnana-yoga both are preliminary stages to realization of the
  true nature of the individual self. Karma-yoga can itself
  lead to this vision ir it can lead to it through subsequent
  jnana-yoga. However, the vision of the individual self is
  itself preliminary to full-fledged bhakti-yoga, or continuous
  loving meditation on God Himself, with full knowledge of the
  nature of the individual self as God's 'sesha'. I'm afraid
  the fruit/flower analogy does not neatly fit.

  For some more detail on this subject from the viewpoint of
  Sri Ramanuja, please see
  http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/apr2002/0034.html
  -- Moderator ]


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