Shrimad BhAgvat says... points to ponder about the Supreme Lord and His Creation

[smaranam]

|| om namo bhagavate vAsudevAya ||

Subjects of this post:
1. Qualifications for karma, jnana and bhakti yoga resp.
2. Characteristic of BhAgvat Dharma
3. AtmA inside is AtmA outside.

1. Bhagavan Shri KRshNa uvAcha (speaks to Uddhav):
Qualifications for a)karma, b)jnana and c)bhakti:

SB 11.20.7
nirvANNanAM dnyAna yogo nyAsinAmiha karmasu
teshva nirviNNa chittAnAM karma yogastu kAminAM

Those who are extremetly renounced (virakta, nirvANNanAM) from karma (deeds) and their fruits, qualify for (adhikAri) jnAna/dnyAna yoga. Conversely, those who are not yet renounced in the mind/chitta, but maintain inclinations, wants and wishes for work (karma, deeds), are suitable for karma yoga.

SB 11.20.8
yadRchhayA (yadi ichhaya) mat-kathAdau
jAtashradhhastu yah: pumAn
na nirviNNo na atisakto bhakti yogosya siddhidah:

However, the one who is neither too renounced, nor too attached to the world, action and its fruits, and who owing to past good deeds (purva puNya) has developed faith in Me, My glories and stories (MY kathA, nAm guNa leelA), will gain perfection via Bhakti Yoga.

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2. Characteristic of BhAgvat Dharma (spoken by [*EDIT:] Chitraketu to the blue vastra-clad BhagvAn saNkarshaN (ananta) )

SB 6.16.41
vishamamtirna yatra nRNAM tvamahamiti mama taveti cha yadanyatra
vishamadhiyA rachito yah: sa hyavishuddhah: kshayishNur-adharma-bahulah:

In BhAgvat Dharma, there is no contaminated intelligence that encourages thoughts of "me and you" or "mine and yours". Contrary to this, the dharma in which there is a seperatist notion (mine and yours, theirs), that dharma is impure, perishable, destructive and fond of / tending towards adharma.

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3. AtmA inside is AtmA outside.

The AtmA that was once embodied in an infant's body (whom NArad Muni addressed as "JIvAtman pashya bhadraM..." , speaks thus:

SB 6.16.8
EvaM yonigato jIvah: sa nityo nirahaMkRtah:
yAvadyatropalabheta tAvatsvatvaM hi tasya tat

The embodied jIva is eternal and without ego (ahankaar rahit).
As long as it takes up a womb and is embodied, only for that period it identifies with the body.

SB 6.16.9
esha nityo-avyayah: sUkshma esha sarvAshraya svadRuk
AtmamAyA-r-guNai-r-vishvamAtmanam sRjati prabhuh:


This jIva (this one, esha) is eternal & unchanging, imperishable, subtle, the basis and shelter of everyone and everything, and self-illuminating (sarvAshraya, [*EDIT:]svadRk, svayaMprakAsh). Because He is of the nature of Ishvar (prabhu), He manifests (sRjati) in the form of the Universe (vishvamAtmanam) by dint of His own external energy (AtmamAyayA-r-guNair).

SB 6.16.10
na hyasya atipriyah: kashchinnApriyah: svah: paroSpi vA
ekah: sarvadhiyAM dRshTA kartRNAM guNa-doshayoh:

To him there are none too dear nor too repulsive. No one his own, no one a stranger. This is because He alone is the witness (dRshTA) of the tendencies (vRtti) of manifestations of material qualities/behavioral patterns and faults (guNa-dosha).

SB 6.16.11
nAdatta AtmA hi guNaM na doshaM na kriyAphalaM
udAseenavadAseenah: parAvaradRgIshvarah:

He is the witness (dRg, dRshTA, udAseen) of the works (kArya) and its cause (kAraNa), and is independant (Ishvara). Therefore He does not take upon himself the material qualities and faults (guNa-dosha) of the body. He is always unchanging and steady.


This is testified by BhagvAn Shri KRshNa:
SB 11.22.11 (Shri KRshNa to Uddhav)
purush-eshvara-yoratra na vailakshaNyamaNvapi
tad-anya-kalpanA pArthA jnAnam/dnyAnam cha prakRte-r-guNah:

There is not even a tiny difference (vailakshaN) between the embodied jIva (purusha) and Ishvara. Therefore one should not consider them different or seperate.
Any other imagined knowledge is within the three modes of material nature.
([*EDIT:] translation of the last line of this verse SB11.22.11 is mine (tad-anya-kalpanA jnanam cha prakRter gunah). All others in this post are from Bhagvat Puran from Gita Press, Gorakhpur)


_/\_

sacchidAnanda rUpAya vishvotpatyAdi hetave
tApatraya vinAshAya shri kRshNAya vayam numah: _/\_