But Vedanta study offers the path of Jnana or Vidya by which one can circumvent the endless cycle of karma and strive to escape from this in a tangential manner, pointed out Sri K. Srinivasan in a discourse. Even the study of Vedanta, if it remains at the theoretical and intellectual level, becomes ineffective for realisation of Brahman. But it becomes a great boon when the spiritual aspirant utilises it to get rid of karma and to get liberated. The fundamental teaching reinforced in the Gita is that each one should be aware that he is a unique blend of the physical and the spiritual. The self within the body is the witnessing consciousness responsible for the functioning of the body and is the knower of all, the Kshetrajna. This self is the essence of permanent joy.
The body is compared to a field, Kshetra, where events happen. There is birth, growth decline and death. The five gross elements, the ego sense, intellect including the unmanifest, the karmendriyas and the jnanendriyas, are the constituents of the field. But being ignorant of the exceptional and immortal indwelling self that is of the essence of bliss, many are deluded into believing that joy can be sought in the external world. He who understands the invaluable quality of one’s present birth as a chance to strive for salvation is really blessed, since no one has any clue about what is in store in each one’s prarabdha karma account.
The concept of Knowledge of the self, ‘atma tatva jnana,’ is relevant only in the context of Vedanta vichara and does not offer much to a non-believer in the sastras. Strictly speaking, the term ‘jnana’ in sastra drishti means ‘swaroopa jnana’ or ‘atma tatva jnana’ alone, pointed out Sri K. Srinivasan in a discourse. But it is also used with reference to the objective knowledge of the universe, its origin, sustenance, dissolution and so on. In such instances it is known as Vritti jnana. Here ‘jnana’ has an extended or metaphorical usage even as comparisons are in the understanding of principles, ideas, etc. It is similar to describing a boy as a lion cub where the intention is to highlight his smartness and intelligence.
Krishna expounds the essence of this ultimate knowledge which is called as Kshetra Kshetrajna Jnana to clarify and reconcile many subtle and esoteric issues that are difficult to grasp. The uniqueness in the Lord’s creation is reflected in the Prakriti-Purusha principle. Adi Sankara, while explaining this section, shows how the Lord, because of His manifestation as the entire Jagat, appears to be very much involved in its working and upkeep. He appears bound, but is very much above and beyond it. This is the case of every individual jivatma who is a part of this universal eternal existence while he is also a distinct individual with special body mind complex functions. He too appears to be bound to samsara. But the self in reality remains as the Kshetrajna, the knower of all.
The Svetasvatara Upanishad states: “He is the maker of all, the knower of all, the self caused, the possessor of qualities, the knower of everything, the ruler of nature and of the spirit, the lord of qualities, the cause of worldly existence, and of liberation, of continuance and of bondage.”
The Isa Vasya captures the ideal way of life an individual should adopt during his tenure in this world and adds that such a person may be content to live a hundred years and attain Brahman. ‘He is indeed blessed when he lives life without attachments and does his duty in earnest without desire and without yearning for its fruits.’ This kind of orientation towards perceiving life as a sacrifice, meaning, living an austere life with the aim to get liberated eventually is central to the teaching in the Upanishads, pointed out Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse. They also teach many powerful mantras that can be meditated with faith and practised with dedication to attain goals, worldly and spiritual.
In the Chandogya Upanishad (III-16), for instance, there is a mantra that prays for one’s own long life when there is a likelihood of it being cut short owing to sudden sickness or disease. This prayer is connected with the Gayatri mantra, a powerful mantra which is capable of protecting everything existing in this universe. “The Gayatri is what the earth is, for, on it everything here that has come to be. is established.” The idea is that the spiritual aspirant wishes to complete the rituals and duties and seeks protection from untimely death that might overtake him. He is engaged in the performance of the morning, midday and evening libations with the Gayatri hymn. The verse says that in the event of any sickness overtaking him during the three periods of his libations, which metaphorically is taken to be his life span of a hundred and sixteen years, he prays to the respective deities to grant him extension of time to complete the rituals successfully. The symbolic implication is that this mantra has the power to ward off premature death and to grant one long life so that he can strive to get liberated.
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