Lessons prepared by
M.S.HARI Raamaanuja Daasan (mshari@usa.net)
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The karma-yoga is easier than j~gnyana-yoga. Also, the karma-yoga grants the results quicker than j~gnyana-yoga. This is because the karma-yogi does the karma with Satvika-tyaga with jivathma-paramathma-j~gnyana. This quickly leads to the Bhagavath-Preethi. The karma-yoga purifies the karma-yogi removing rajas and tamas gunas and gradually leads to the control of sense organs. It thus leads to jivathma-sakshathkaram (realization of the jivan within oneself) easily. On the other hand, j~gnyana-yoga is difficult and gives result (jivathma-sakshathkaram) after a long period.
The sense organs (Indriyams), vital airs (praana-vaayus) etc are doing their respective actions, which are as per the control of the karma-badhda-jivathman. The jivathman has mere sambandam(connection) with the sense organs (Indriyams), vital airs, etc just because of karma. The jivathman is different from these things and is j~gnyana-swarupa. Having got the knowledge about jivathma-swarupa, through Aacharya-upadesam, the jivathman has to contemplate on his swarupa continuously and this is j~gnyana yogam. If this is done, his erroneous ideas like "Body and Aatma are same" etc., gets removed and he gets the realization of self, which is jivathma-sakshathkaram.
Having attained jivathma-sakshathkaram, he does not worry for bad events and never feels happy for good events. He remains aloof. He sees that the jivathma is of same nature (j~gnyana-swarupa) in all the types of bodies like devatha (demi-god), mansuhya (human), mrugam (animal) and stavara (plants, trees etc). That is, the yogi sees a learned person, an ignorant man, cow, elephant, dog and he who eats the dog equally. This only means that the jivathman inside such bodies are of the same nature - j~gnyana swarupa and j~gnyana asraya (having dharma-bhutha-j~gnyana). Of course, the differences in body and means of approaching each of these entities are not over ruled here. "All these entities are seen "equal" by the yogi" - this necessarily means that each of the individual jivathman inside the entities are of same nature.
These aspects where explained in the fifth chapter of Bhagavath Geetha.
The jivathma-sakshathkaram and j~gnyana-yoga are further explained in the sixth chapter. It will be covered in the next posting. Thus the first 6 chapters (prathama-shadgam) explains karma and j~gnyana which are means for jivathma-sAkshAthkAram.
After this, the next 6 chapters (madyama-shadgam) explains the Bhakti-yoga which is the means for Paramathma-sakshathkaram - realizing Paramathma Sriman Narayana: who is Purushoththama:
Bhagavath Yamunacharya has summarized the contents of this fifth chapter as follows: