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Karma and Jn~Ana Yogas

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Anand K Karalapakkam • April 5, 2002 


SrI:
SrImatE rAmAnujAya namaH
SrImatE nigamAnta mahAdESikAya namaH

 namO nArAyaNa!

 Dear bhaktas,

 The following was written by me many months back as
 a reply to a devotee's question/explanations. Reproducing
 the relevant part of that mail.....Sorry for not being able to
 edit it appropriately.

-------------

  Karma yOga is only those that you have quoted from SwAmi DESikan's
  originals viz. "saniyamAgap parigruhItamA-irukkum karma viSEsham".
  They are stated in RTS itself : The list of karmas
  as given in SrI Bhagavad GIta viz. yaj~na, tIrtha yAtra, dAna,
  prANAyAma etc.

  The meaning of "saniyama....." is that any "one" of these
  types of karmas should be performed with the sa~nkalpam
  for getting jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram, regularly without alteration to
  some other karma. This is the Karma Yoga.

  Nitya-naimittika karmas and phala ....kAmya karmas mentioned
  in SrImad RTS originals do not convey that they are "Karma Yoga"
  as such. They only aid karma yOga - Or for that matter aid even
  bhakti yOga and those who perform prapatti as sAdhyOpAyam.

 In jn~Ana yoga, the continuous Cintana 
 on aadhEyatva et al reg SarIratvam of a jIvAtma is *not* there.
 This very important point is missed by many scholars in their
 writings as well as discourses. That gives rise to confusions as 
 well. SrI UtthamUr SwAmi has made brilliant contribution in this 
 regard.

  The SrImad RTS originals state those viSEshanas for characterizing
  the jIvAtma swaroopa and not for characterizing the object of
  Cintana in jn~Ana yoga. Only the jn~Anatvam, aanandatvam and
  amalatvam characteristics of the jIvAtma are to be continuously
  remembered upon. This is only jn~Ana Yoga.

  After a particular stage of perfection, one should perform
  the dhyAna-yOga as prescribed in gIta (Ch 6) with appropriate
  aasana and indriya pratyAhAra. This is meditation on the jIvAtma
  swaroopam with above characteristics, and this leads to
  jIvAtmalOkanam ie.jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram; This is dhyAna
  ie.meditation with aasana etc different from "mere Cintana".

  Alternatively, one can by-pass the jn~Ana yoga and directly
  perform this dhyAna-yOga for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram, after having
  attained a very good perfection in the karma yoga. This is
  possible because while performing karma-yoga one has to do it
  with the knowledge of being a jIvAtma with the above
  characteristics remembered in jn~Ana yOga. Though it will not
  be a continuous rememberance of the jIvAtma characteristics as
  in jn~Ana yOga, the sheer practise of karma yoga will make one
  fit enough for performing dhyAna-yOga to obtain jIvAtma
  sAkshAtkAram. Infact, Lord KrishNa instructs one to prefer
  karma yoga route by itself for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram over the
  karma yoga followed by jn~Ana yoga route. PerumAL states some
  appropriate reasons also ....Easy to perform/practise, we are
  very much used to performing activities, lOka kshEmam ie. others
  will follow your anushThAnams etc.

  In the SRTS text, "...ik-karma-yogam jn~Ana-yoga-tthai
  iDaiyittum iDai-iDAdEyum saparikara-mAna yoga-tthai koNDu
  aatmAvalOkanasAdhanam-Am ", the phrase "saparikara-mAna
  yoga-tthai koNDu" refers to the dhyAna yoga. It means
  "Karma Yoga becomes a sAdhana (means) for jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram
   through the saparikara-yoga < ie.dhyAna-yoga with aasanam,
   prANAyAmam and pratyAhAram> either with or without jn~Ana yoga
   as an intermediate".

  In the SRTS text "ik karma-yOga jn~Ana-yoga-N~gaLAlE
  yoga-mukhattAlE aatmAvalOkanam piRandAl ......", the term
  "yoga-mukhattAlE" refers to this dhyAna-yOga, the meeting
  point of karma and jn~Ana yoga routes for attaining jIvAtma
  sAkshAtkAram as jn~AnAnanda swaroopa and being blemishless.

  The characteristic of being a SarIra to paramAtma is meditated
  upon only in the bhakti-yoga. JIvAtma sAkshAtkAram is thus a
  pre-requisite for bhakti-yOga since meditation on SarIratvam of
  a jIvAtma comes after sAkshAtkAram of what a jIvAtma is . That is why, a pit-fall is
  there in this "jIvAtma-sAkshAtkAram" stage. One might get
  attracted by the high degree of aananda experienced in this
  sAkshAtkAram  and get stagnated without
  proceeding onto bhakti-yoga. These yogis proceed to kaivalya
  (after which they will perform bhakti yoga ; ie. after their
   sins for starting the bhakti yoga gets eradicated).

  Note: Even before performing karma yoga one knows the true
  nature of jIvAtma, paramAtma etc through kAlakshEpam from an
  AchArya. This attainment of knowledge is not jn~Ana yoga (ref
  the above definition). Further, acquairance of this general
  knowledge is different from meditation on certain limited
  characteristics of jIvAtma etc. Those who attain kaivalya
  also knows Sastra thoroughly and during the time prior to even
  their start of karma yoga, they knew SAstras very well.It is only
  the extensive aananda obtained in jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram of this
  aanandamaya swaroopa that causes their pitfall. By the way,
  for everyone in general they themselves are their own dearmost.
  It is easily evident since all the activities are performed for
  one's welfare. Even a suicide is performed by some to get rid
  of some present problem => Inherently, everyone likes themselves
  the most.

  Anyway, when some gets attracted to materialistic things like
  Cinema, Coffee etc (though they don't want to get addicted in
  heart, still they prefer unfortunately) even with the knowledge
  of SAstras, it is understandable that a yogi gets attracted by
  jIvAtma sAkshAtkAram, though he has prior knowledge that
  paramAtma sAkshAtkAram is the goal to be attained.
--------------------------------

  aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,
  anantapadmanAbhan alias Anand.


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           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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