Jnana Vahini

Many people argue that Jnaanam is the Brahma-svabhaavam (Manifest form or changeable, non-intrinsic nature of Brahman). But such opinions arise only in the absence of experience of the Supreme Self. Without such experience, though any number of such arguments and discussions happen, those cannot be true.

I declare aloud that Jnaanam is Brahma-svaroopam (True form or essence of, and changeless, intrinsic nature of Brahman), not a mere Brahma-svabhaavam. The Vedas and Shaastras announce that Brahman Itself is Satyajnaanaanda-svaroopam, i.e., Brahman of the intrinsic nature of Satya, Jnaana and Aananda; and not that Brahman is Satyajnaanaananda-svabhaavam, i.e., Brahman reveals itself through Satya, Jnaana and Aananda.

Indeed, Brahman cannot be described as such and such; that is why Brahman is called Sanmaatra-svaroopam (Purely Existential Reality). Jnaana too is such. That is why, Jnaana too is called Sanmaatra-svaroopam. If Jnaana is not the Svaroopa of Brahman, then, what about the Shrutis that use the word Vijnaana-ghana (nothing but Pure Jnaana) to indicate Brahman? Only those, who are unaware of the Shrutis, Vedas and the Shaastras, will assume that Jnaana and Brahman are distinct; they can only be called as complete ignorants.

Jnaana is beyond Trigunas (three Gunas – Satva, Rajas and Tamas); all knowledge that is limited by the three Gunas is Ajnaana (ignorance). So, how can such limited knowledge be Jnaana? Brahman too is beyond Trigunas. Thus, Jnaana is the Svaroopa of Brahman.

It is not that one has attributes while the other is attributeless; both Brahman and Jnaanam are attributeless. Even if you find Gunas in Brahman, they are the result of Avidya (ignorance) and Kalpana (imaginations or projections), only to serve the needs of the Jiva (Embodied Soul) during the state of the embodiment. “Jnaanenahinaah pashubhih samaanaah,” meaning, the Jnaana-hinas (ones who are devoid of Jnaana) are said to be equal to Pashu (bonded, beast or animal).

Vedas aver and ensure that acquiring Jnaana alone confers the eternally blissful freedom or liberation (Moksha), which is the panacea for all ills, troubles and travails. To acquire this Jnaana, there are many paths, and the chiefest of them is the path of Bhakti (love directed towards God). That is the reason why even great and noble men such as Vashishtha, Narada, Vyasa, Jayadeva, Gouranga adopted the path of Bhakti. As the oil is the basis to the flame in the lamp, Daiva-bhakti (Devotion towards God) is the basis to the flame of Jnaana. The Heavenly Tree of the Joy of Jnaana thrives on the refreshing waters of Bhakti. Understand this well!

It is for this reason that Lord Krishna, who is the Personification of Prema (Universal Love), and who is saturated with the quality of Mercy, declared in the Geeta: “Bhaktya maamabhijnaanaati” (“I am known by the means of Bhakti”).

Why was this declaration made? Because, in the path of Bhakti, there are no dangers. Young and old, high and low, man and woman, all are entitled to tread it. Who are in urgent need of medical treatment? Those who are badly ill. Is it not? So too, those who are groping in Ajnaana are first entitled to the teaching and the training leading to the acquisition of Jnaana. Why feed those who have no hunger? Why give medicines to those who are not sick? Brahman or Jnaana, has emanated to cure the illness of Ajnaana.

Anyone who wants to be free from the illness of Ajnaana can acquire that Jnaana. Jnaana, once attained, destroys all kinds of impurities. Without any distinctions of status, class or gender, all are entitled to gain that Jnaana. If someone says that women are not entitled to it, then, why is it mentioned that Lord Shiva taught Vedaanta to Parvati? Or, how did Kapilachaarya, the great Yogi, teach the Sankhya philosophy to his mother, Devahooti, as part of teaching Brahma-jnaanam? Or, how did Yajnavalkya, the great sage, impart the essential principles of Vedantic philosophy to his wife, Maitreyi? Are all these famous examples mentioned in the scriptures like Bhagavata and Brihadaaranyakopanishat false? They cannot be false! The Scriptures, where these facts are mentioned, speak only the profound Truth.

There is no doubt that Sage Matanga is a great ascetic. Does not the holy Ramaayana declare that he taught the woman Shabari, the secret of the sacred doctrine of Brahman? Is that statement false? Coming to this Kali-yuga (Kali Age) itself, who does not know that the scholarly wife of Sureshwarachaarya, Ubhaya Bharati, contended with Jagadguru Shankarachaarya himself in philosophic discussion on Brahman? So, the chief qualification for the path leading to Jnaana is only Saadhana, the Tapas one is engaged in, not the irrelevant consideration of caste, creed, religion or gender. Leaving all other matters aside, one should concentrate on that Saadhana and that Tapas for gaining such qualification.

The Lord is accessible and available to all. He is All Merciful. No one except the Lord has the authority to declare anyone unfit for the discipline of Jnaana. If you reflect a little deeper, you will realize that the Lord would not deny anyone the chance to reach Him. How can He refuse or reject His own kith and kin to reach Him. Will He say it is erroneous?

A father with four sons cannot state that one of them has no right to a share in his property. It won’t be just or proper. Then what shall be said of the Lord, who is devoid of the slightest tinge of partiality or prejudice and who is full of mercy? To attribute favoritism to Him, by saying that He favors only such and such and not others for learning Brahma-vidya (Supreme-knowledge of the Self), is to commit sacrilege.

Referring to this question of who is entitled and who is not entitled to Brahma-vidya, Lord Krishna said in the Geeta, “I have no favorite, nor do I dislike anyone. Whatever might be the caste, whether the person is man or woman, whoever worships Me with faith and devotion, will reach Me; nothing can stand in their way. I too will manifest in the hearts of such.” Is the Geeta, therefore, meaningless? No, the Geeta speaks profound Truth.

There is another wrong belief present today. It is said that in order to be entitled to the practice of the Saadhana for the realization of Brahman, like Japa and Dhyaana, one must first adhere strictly to certain modes of daily conduct laid down in tradition and thus attain purity. I do not agree. For, medicines are essential only for the bedridden. How can they become hale and healthy without first taking a course of the medicine? To say that a person must be pure and good and follow certain codes of conduct before he could tread the path of God, is to say that he must be free from disease in order to deserve medical treatment! This is absurd. The taking in of the drug will gradually induce health and cheer. This obvious fact is ignored by many. That is a serious malady indeed!

All those suffering from the malady of Ajnaana or Ignorance must first read and ponder over the books dealing with Jnaana and seek the company of the great elders in the field of spiritual endeavor to learn from their experiences. It is only then that they can understand the truth or reality.

There is also one other secret of success; this too has to be borne in mind. Every course of medical treatment involves regimen (regulation and restrictions of diet during a therapy). This regimen should not be neglected or taken lightly. This is very essential! In fact, if the regimen is not strictly followed, even the costliest or latest or most efficacious medicine will be ineffective. This secret should not be forgotten.

There are many great and noble ones who underwent the medical treatment and strictly followed the regimen, and successfully merged in the Jnaana called Para-brahman! Notice their castes and creeds! Vashishtha was born of a Veshya (Celestial courtesan). Narada’s mother was a washerwoman. Valmiki belonged to the hunter caste. Vishwamithra was a Kshatriya (warrior caste). Matanga was born to a cobbler caste-woman. The inference is, that what is important enough is constant meditation on the Lord, not the labels of caste or creed. Jnaana is the attainment of the feeling of Oneness, the realization that there is nothing high or low. That is the True Divine Principle, the Brahman. One that is not dual, is Non-dual. That non-duality itself is Jnaana. Jnaana is Brahman.

A ‘sugar doll’ (dolls crafted of edible sugar) has head, neck, arms and limbs, but each part is as sweet as the other. From head to foot, it is one uniform sweetness. There cannot be two types of sweetness. Those who emanate from the Lord’s Face, those who emanate from His Feet and those who emanate from His Arms are all His Children only. The realization of this Truth is Jnaana. All limbs belong to the same Paramaatma (Godhead, the Supreme Self).

There are trees, like the cluster fig (Ficus racemosa) tree, which bear fruit from the root up to the topmost branch! Does the fruit near the ground differ from the fruit on the tallest branch? They are all the same, is it not? Or do they taste differently like distinct fruits? No. Of course, among the fruits, some may be tender, some unripe, some a little ripe and some fully ripe, and these may differ in taste too as is only natural. But, never can you find bitterness in the bottom and sweetness in the top or sourness in the middle. Tender, green and ripe are three stages, or three characteristics.

So too, the four castes or the four classes of people are according to four characteristics, Gunas. According to their Gunas and their Karmas (activities), the four castes have been ordained. Like the fruits on the same tree, some tender, some green and some ripe, men too are considered as of four groups, according to their stage of development as judged from their actions, skills and Gunas. Those in whose thoughts and behavior, the Satva-guna (pure qualities) predominates are grouped as Brahmanas (masters of Vedic lore, priests). Those in whom Rajo-guna (quality of passion and restlessness) is dominant are referred to as Kshatriyas (warrior caste); thus, the Shaastras have spoken of ingrained qualities as the basis of caste, not otherwise. Why? The Geeta itself proclaims that the four castes have been established by the Lord taking into consideration (1) the dominance of either of the three Gunas, and (2) the practice of Karmas like Japam, Dhyaanam and other disciplinary duties!

Though born as a Shudra (the service caste), a person does attain Brahminhood, through the Saadhana of Brahma-nishtha (absorbed contemplation of the Absolute Consciousness, God). Though born as a Brahmana, if that ideal and the effort to attain Brahman is not found, that person becomes Shudra.

Anushthaana (practices or austerities) and Nishtha (discipline) – these two are the criteria, the deciding factors for high caste or low caste. The Inner Aatmic Principle is the same in all. It knows no caste or class or any other distinctions. To realize such Aatmic Principle, Bhakti is the first step. Eventually, Bhakti merges in Jnaana and becomes identified with it. Bhakti and Jnaana should not be considered as separate. Without being an unripe fruit first, how can you get ripened fruit? All three, unripe fruit, little ripe fruit and fully ripe fruit, are basically the same fruit. Isn’t it? Similarly, Bhakti ripens into Jnaana; so, do not speak of them as different. At one stage it is called Bhakti, at a later stage we refer to it as Jnaana. Once it is sugarcane juice, later it is sugar.

Through pure and steady Bhakti, the Jiva is transformed into Shiva or rather, it knows it is Shiva and the Jiva idea disappears. To posit oneself as Jiva, that is Ajnaana. To know oneself as Shiva, that is Jnaana.