Vyavasāyātmikā Buddhi is only possible in pure devotion (2)

In the previous post, Vishwanath Chakravarti stated that the word yoga in Gītā 2.40 refers to svarūpa-siddhā bhakti because only such devotion is transcendental to the guṇas. Jñāna and karma are within the guṇas and therefore do not fulfill the conditions of yoga that the verse itself promises: through yoga one will transcend the guṇas. He looks at the totality of yoga with bhakti as its culmination. Thus there is a sequence or progression in the process leading to that bhakti. Śrīdhara and other commentaries have defined yoga here as bhagavad-arpita-karma, and it is precisely this that Vishwanath finds to be inadequate. This is also the definition given by commentaries on the īśvara-praṇidhāna of the Yoga-sūtras. But bhakti is not subordinate to yoga, it is the fruition of yoga; it is the complete manifestation of yoga. Now we look at Vishwanath's commentary to 2.41 where he continues his argument:

Photo by Robert Harding.

किं च, सर्वाभ्योऽपि बुद्धिभ्यो भक्तियोगविषयिण्येव बुद्धिरुत्कृष्टेत्याह—व्यवसाय- इति । 

Introducing the verse: "Moreover, of all the varieties of intelligence, intelligence directed to bhakti-yoga is the best of all. This is now being stated:

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन ।

बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम्॥

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kurunandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo’vyavasāyinām 

Intelligence in the form of resolute determination is single, O scion of the Kurus. The intelligence of those who have no such resolution branches off into an infinity of directions. [Bhagavad Gita 2.41]

इह भक्तियोगे व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकैव--"मम श्रीमद्गुरूपदिष्टं भगवत्कीर्तनस्मरणचरणपरिचरणादिकमेतदेव मम साधनम्, एतदेव मम साध्यम्, एतदेव मम जीवातुः, साधनसाध्यदशयोस्त्यक्तुमशक्यम्, एतदेव मे काम्यम्, एतदेव मे कार्यम्, एतदन्यन् न मे कार्यं, नाप्यभिलषणीयं स्वप्नेऽपीत्यत्र सुखमस्तु दुःखं वास्तु, संसारो नश्यतु वा न नश्यतु, तत्र मम कापि न क्षतिः" इत्येवं निश्चयात्मिका बुद्धिरकैतवभक्तावेव सम्भवेत् । तदुक्तं—"ततो भजेत मां भक्त्या श्रद्धालुर्दृढनिश्चयः" [भा.पु. ११.२०.२८] इति।

The word "here" in the verse refers to bhakti-yoga. The single-minded intelligence takes the following form: "This process of hearing and chanting, remembering and serving the Lord, etc., as was instructed to me by my holy preceptor is my only practice and it alone is my goal. This alone is my livelihood and cannot be given up whether on the stage of practice or of achievement. This alone is my duty and I have no other. I should desire nothing else, not even in my dreams. Whether I am happy in executing it or am unhappy, whether I am liberated or not, I care not. There is no loss for me."

Such is the intelligence in conviction that is only possible in sincere and unhypocritical devotion (akaitava-bhakti). So it is said in the Bhāgavatam: "The faithful person should therefore worship me with devotion, in complete certainty." (tato bhajeta māṁ prītaḥ śraddhālur dṛḍha-niścayaḥ | BhP 11.20.28)

See earlier blog post.

ततोऽन्यत्र नैव बुद्धिरेकेत्याह—बह्विति । बहवः शाखा यासां, ताः । तथा हि कर्मयोगे कामानामानन्त्याद् बुद्धयोऽनन्ताः । तथैव ज्ञानयोगे प्रथममन्तःकरणशुद्ध्यर्थं निष्कामकर्मणि बुद्धिः, ततस्तस्मिन् शुद्धे सति, कर्मसंन्यासे बुद्धिः । तदा ज्ञाने बुद्धिः । ज्ञानवैफल्याभावार्थं भक्तौ बुद्धिः । "ज्ञानं च मयि संन्यसेत्" [भा.पु.  ११.१९.१ ] इति भगवदुक्तेर्ज्ञानसंन्यासे च भक्तौ बुद्धिरिति बुद्धयोऽनन्ताः । कर्मज्ञानभक्तीनामवश्यानुष्ठेयत्वात् तत्तच्छाखा अप्यनन्ताः ॥४१॥

Therefore elsewhere intelligence is not single-pointed. This is stated in the second half of the verse: "The intelligence of those who have no such resolution branches off into an infinity of directions. " The intelligences have many branches. Because in karma-yoga desires are infinite these intelligences are also infinite. The first intelligence is in works performed without desire executed for the purpose of purification of the inner instrument so that one can achieve jñāna-yoga. Then when the inner-instrument is purified one's intelligence turns to the renunciation of works. Then one's intelligence is placed in the process of jñāna-yoga. There is also intelligence in devotion for the purpose of not failing to attain jñāna. And then in accordance with Bhagavān's words in the Eleventh Canto, there is an intelligence in which one gives up knowledge for bhakti (jñānaṁ ca mayi sannyaset, 11.19.1). So in this way there are an unlimited number of different kinds of intelligence. And since jñāna, karma and bhakti must necessarily be performed, their branches are also infinite in number. [i.e. their permutations and combinations are infinite.]

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So when comes to the limits of a particular practice, one's intelligence is changed to accommodate new goals that become apparent with the purification of the mind. Until one comes to pure svaruūpa-siddhā bhakti, one is still somewhere in the process of purifying the intelligence.

 

 

Single-pointed is the intelligence

of those with resolute determination.

The intelligence of those who have it not

has infinite pointless branches.