Sunday, October 24, 2010

WHY SHOULD ONE PERFORM KARMANUSHTHANA AND FOLLOW THE WORDS OF RISHIS AND GURUS?

Based on one’s inherent vAsanas and TriguNas, one chooses his path of seeking the truth. Each path has its own intricacies. One can go by karma yoga, jnAna yoga, dhyAna yoga or bhakti yoga or by a combination of these. But in view of the complexities in comprehending and following the Scriptures, we require one physical person as Guru for proper guidance from time to time. The jagatguru of all , of course, is BhagavAn and that is why he is addressed as “ krishNam vande jagat gurum.”

Yo yo yAm Yam tanum bhaktah SraddhayArcitumicchati !
Tasya tasyAcalAm SraddhAm tAm eva vidadhAmyaham !!

Whichever Deity one person worships with faith, BhagavAn makes their faith steadfast in that Deity


sa tayA SraddhayA yuktas tasyArAdhanamIhate !
labhate ca tatah kAmAn mayaiva vihitAn hitAn !!

Though the person worships that Deity of his choice and fulfils his desires, the benefits are bestowed by BhagavAn alone.


antavattu phalam tesham bhavatyalpa medhasAm !
devan deva yajo yAnti mad bhaktA yanti mAmapi !!

Men of limited intellect worship demi-Gods with limited benefits. Those people reach the demi-Gods while those who worship BhagavAn go to Him.

BhagavAn also declares one should not give up yajna, dAna and tapas irrespective of his attainments as they purify a person .

yajna dAna tapah karma na tyAjyam karyameva tat !
yajno dAnam tapscaiva pAvanAni manishinAm !!

Though a person is morally upright, ethically good and spiritually inclined, he should also do the ordained karmAnushthAna to the extent possible till his very end.

The fruit of action has to be dedicated to BhagavAn. He advises that every one should do his specific karma and that karma phala tyAga ( giving up fruit of action) is better than karma tyAga (giving up action). This is what the dharma SAstras declare.

Whatever is said in the SAstras which are Rishi proktam are not mere commandments but are to be construed as gentle advice for one’s own long-term benefit.

Esha AdeSah ! Esha upadeSah !