Atmajyothi

by Shri Lakshminarayan Aithal

This, itself, is the Supreme Learning ( परविज्ञान ). Then :-

ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति । समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु मद्भक्तिं लभते पराम् ।।

भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान् यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः । ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ।।गी. 18-54, 55.

The one who is supremely wise himself is the Supreme Devotee. He doesn’t have either distress, or lust; and, he sees God everywhere and in all living beings. Probably, he doesn’t have any mental condition other than the Love in God everywhere. For, such a wise-devotee (ज्ञानीभक्त) God Himself is the Reality. He obtains the experience of the Reality that everything is God and he merges only in God.


In this manner, starting from the secondary devotion (गौणभक्ति), it is fully developed in to the Supreme Devotion (पराभक्ति); hence, here, wisdom and devotion have the same spirit and both of them have become one Principle; therefore, the separated knowledge (विभक्तज्ञान) that wisdom itself is the means or wisdom and devotion are mutually dependent – disappears; and, everything becomes the Devotion itself.

राजगृहभोजनादिषु तथैव दृष्टत्वात् ।। 31 ।।

31. For, it is seen similarly in palace, taking a meal, etc.

न तेन राजपरितोषः क्षुच्छान्ति (क्षुधाशान्ति)र्वा ।। 32 ।।

32. By that, a king doesn’t have either gratification (परितोष ) or appeasement of hunger.

66. It is settled by the valid worldly illustrations that among knowledge and devotion, the secondary devotion itself is the expedient by rule to have the Supreme Devotion. For, if the one obtains a mere knowledge of a palace, he may not get any benefit from the king. If a servant pleases the king by his devoted service, then only the former may obtain a desired object from the latter. Similarly, by the acquaintance scriptures, etc. if the one obtains the knowledge of God’s Own Form he may not please Him (God). This can be expected that if the one has Love in God alone he may obtain the Grace of God. ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम् ।। It is true that this sentence of the गीता tells about the Wise – Devotee; there is no doubt that even if the one fancies God due to any cause, he obtains His blessing. It is found in the world that a master rewards his servant who serves the former un-interruptedly more than the expectation of the latter. Whether the servant has the knowledge of his master or not; it is clear that the former obtains the reward from his incessant service and not from the knowledge of the form of the latter. There is a law that love unites the lover with the loved; therefore, it is natural that a secondary devotion in God gradually unites with Him by obtaining the Supreme Devotion.

In this manner, even the one understands more and more the qualities of eatables, his hunger is not appeased; by starting to partake the food alone love towards that eatable is increased and the hunger is also appeased. Similarly, the Love in God is only the Experience of His Form of Bliss can be had only by His service and not by mere knowledge.



WHAT SHOULD BE COMPREHENDED BY THE WORD आदिषु

Here, the word आदिषु is employed; therefore, one can comprehend the illustration of ‘obtaining of a village, etc.’ If the one enquires the route to a certain village, he doesn’t reach it by having a mere acquaintance of the nature of the route. As he steps towards the destination, he feels happy that with the awareness that he is nearing the village; and, the distance is reduced continuously as he walks towards it. Similarly, even if a practitioner doesn’t have the knowledge that God is eternally the Self of ours and He is of the Form of Bliss; he can exercise the secondary devotion, then, his mind is drawn inside and he obtains the experience that God is the Self of all living beings. Therefore, it is settled that the secondary devotion itself is more important expedient to have the Supreme Devotion than the secondary knowledge.

Another word should be added here : The Experience itself is the Final Supreme Knowledge and the truth is settled : the opinion of the Spiritual Guides is that as the devotion is developed the knowledge is also developed.

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67. In this aphorism, there is another text क्षुधा शान्ति instead of क्षुच्छान्ति. If it seen like this, there may be क्षुधादि text also. For, according to आदि word in राजगृहभोजनादिषु (in palace, taking a meal, etc.), there is an opportunity to expect the word in क्षुधादि शान्ति also. This आदि word denotes the following things : A person who goes first time to particular village or a town may have desire or curiosity to know the distance and duration to reach the destination. As he moves towards the goal his curiosity is reduced and that is not removed by knowing the details of distance and duration. Similarly, in order to remove desire and curiosity of obtaining God, the secondary devotion itself is essentially needed.

MEANING OF व्याख्यास्यामः

वि(very clearly), आ(by all manners) and ख्यास्यामः(we analyse) – are three parts in the word व्याख्यास्यामः .There is a danger of misunderstanding devotion that it is similar to ordinary worldly love if that word is not clearly defined. We discuss the following questions : What is devotion ? What is its characteristic feature ? What are its appearing different forms ? What are its means that cause its appearance ? How does its fruit touch the mind ? What are the qualities of devotees ? The meaning of all answers are included in the आ part of the word.

In this manner, in this aphorism of solemn declaration – the devotion which is the subject matter of the scripture and its use are clearly indicated .