06 Aug 2024
[Prof. JSR Prasad asked:- Sāṣṭāṅga namaskāraṃ Swami. You have told that theoretical devotion (Jnaana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga) is ‘Asambhuuti upaasanam’, which means ‘not born’ (Asambhuuti). But, Jnaana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga exist. If they are not born, how can they exist?]
Swami replied:- You have a famous saying in Sanskrit “Anudarā kanyā”, which means that this girl is not having stomach. Actually, the girl is having stomach because there is no human being without stomach. We should not take this statement in a literal sense (Vācyārtha). We should take the implied sense (Lakṣaṇārtha), which means that this girl is having a very thin stomach. A very subtle item is told as non-existent. A very very subtle item is assumed as almost non-existent. In both Jnaana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga, thoughts are the basis. A thought is made of nervous energy, which is very very subtle and weak since it flows in the very very tender nerves. The stronger physical energy can flow only in metallic wires. Hence, the very very subtle thought is assumed as non-existent. Hence, both Jnaana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga are constituting the theoretical devotion, which is very very subtle energy. Therefore, this very very subtle theoretical devotion is assumed to be non-existent and not born. The word ‘Sambhuuti’ can be taken in birth (Sambhava) as well as existence (Bhū – Sattāyām).
If you take practical devotion or Karma Yoga consisting of Karma Samnyaasa (sacrifice of service or work or physical energy) and Karma Phala Tyaaga (sacrifice of fruit of work or matter), both physical energy and matter are not subtle but physically existent in a very clear manner. Hence, both these are called ‘Sambhuuti upaasanam’. Here, Sambhuuti means born (Sambhava) and also clearly existent (Bhū – Sattāyām).
The above two types of worship mentioned in the Veda must be taken in the above explained sense. The logic here is that true love even in worldly life is proved only through sacrifice of clearly existing items like physical energy or work (like pressing the feet, etc.) and sacrifice of matter or money called Guru Dakshinaa. If the sacrificed money is the fruit of one’s own hard work, the sacrifice is more significant because there will be more attachment to the hard-earned money than the money attained from ancestors. Whatever may be the type of money, the practical sacrifice of money is most important. The Veda says about the sacrifice of money (Dhanena tyāgena…), whereas the Gita says about the sacrifice of more important hard-earned money (Karma Phala Tyaaga). Whatever may be the extent of your theoretical devotion, you must do the practical devotion also as per your capacity and extent of devotion (Yathāśakti yathā bhakti). In ancient generations also, any amount of theoretical devotion may be done, it finally ends with practical devotion only by inviting an eligible receiver to donate food, clothes and money. God said that the fruits are the reflections of your devotion (Ye yathā mām...– Gita). The Veda also says the same (Rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva). Practical devotion is the proof of true love in theoretical devotion.
If you discuss about God, God will discuss about you with His devotees in the upper world! If sing songs on God, God will also sing songs on you! If you feel satisfied with theoretical devotion, God will also be satisfied by His theoretical boons given to you. If you propagate spiritual knowledge, God will give more intelligence to you to convince more the seekers of knowledge. If you sing songs with sweet voice, God will give more sweetness to your tone. Of course, theoretical knowledge and theoretical devotion are like water and manure respectively while practical devotion is like the mango plant that yields the mango fruit finally. No mango fruit comes even if you have 100 tanks of water or 100 bags of manure. At the same time, the mango plant will die if the water-knowledge is absent and the mango plant cannot grow into a tree to yield the fruit if the fertilizer-devotion is absent. Hence, both ‘Asambhuuti upaasanam’ and ‘Sambhuuti upaasanam’ must co-exist for the yield of the fruit.
You cannot simply conclude that practical devotion-mango plant alone will yield the fruit without water-knowledge and manure-devotion. Along with practical devotion, theoretical devotion generated by true and complete spiritual knowledge is also necessary while you are doing the sacrifice of service and fruit of work. Mere practical devotion is a waste without the association of theoretical devotion that gives you obedience while doing the practical devotion. God is not in need of anything from anybody and hence, while you do the practical devotion, you must show surrender and theoretical devotion to God because God is not in need of anything from you. A beggar appreciates you even if you throw a one rupee coin on his face because he is in need of your help.
In the Iishaavaasya Upanishad, both Sambhuuti and Asambhuuti were discussed and the final conclusion is that:-
1) You should worship with both Asambhuuti and Sambhuuti.
2) You should not worship only with Asambhuuti or Sambhuuti.
This means that you shall not do mere theoretical devotion or mere practical devotion. If you worship God with theoretical devotion (Jnaana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga) only, it is false love to God because Karma Yoga or practical devotion, which is the proof of theoretical devotion is absent and this shows the greediness of the devotee. If you do Karma Yoga alone without theoretical devotion, it indicates ego. If you sacrifice service and wealth without surrender and without giving value to God, such practical devotion also becomes a waste.
Sambhuuti represents the creation, which means doing service and sacrifice initiated by the created will or samkalpa in the mind. Asambhuuti represents destruction, which is natural because any created item undergoes natural destruction in course of time. Asambhuuti is very subtle and is born, but, is assumed as non-born and non-existent due to its extreme subtle nature. Therefore, you need not doubt that how the Asambhuuti or non-born has destruction. Asambhuuti is born but due to its extreme subtle nature, it is assumed as if it is not born. Hence, Asambhuuti represents the theoretical phase (Jnaana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga) in which there is no work of practical creation. The Veda says that the devotees doing the worship of Sambhuuti or Asambhuuti alone enter deep darkness due to their strong ignorance due to ego and greediness respectively.
Generally, Sambhuuti is mistaken as the worship of idols and Asambhuuti is mistaken as the worship of natural elements like fire, water, etc. In such case, both become indifferent because the worshipped items in both cases are inert only without awareness. Hence, we shall take these two words as two different forms of worship, which are Asambhuuti (Theoretical Devotion) and Sambhuuti (Practical Devotion).
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