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Progress in spiritual quest

CHENNAI: The Bhagavad Gita contains the essence of the Upanishads wherein knowledge of the Supreme Brahman and the means by which this knowledge can be attained are clearly spelt out. It is emphasised that mere knowledge on the spiritual aspects is of no avail if one continues to be attached to worldly life, pointed out Sri M.V. Anantapadmanabhachariar in a discourse.

The means to attain this knowledge is through practice of austerities such as meditation and concentration by which the mind is purified and by cultivating great faith and devotion to the Almighty.

The Lord says that among thousands of men scarcely one strives for perfection, and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the Lord as the Absolute Truth. This knowledge is not comprehended with the aid of the senses, mind and intellect. It is direct grasp of realisation and comes through rigorous self-discipline. Since the ideal is high, the means to attaining it also remain very challenging.

But every effort towards this goal is taken into account and slow progress is effected by every individual Jivatma through various births. In this manner at the end of many births the man of wisdom takes refuge in the Supreme Lord when the realisation that Vasudeva is all dawns in him.

The story of Jadabharata illustrates this truth in addition to the tough demands in this process. Even an enlightened soul like king Bharata succumbed to attachment to an orphaned fawn and had to face the consequence of being born a deer in his next birth. Though it appeared that his yoga was lost, the wisdom of his previous birth permeated the consciousness of the deer and after exhausting the time of life as a deer, he attained salvation.

The Lord’s Maya is difficult to transcend and it is said that once Sage Narada, desirous of knowing its power, was made to experience its delusory effects when he lived the life of a householder. The Lord says that this Maya made up of Gunas is hard to surmount, and those who wish to do so, can, by taking refuge in Him.

Lord Krishna assures all that each one according to his perseverance in the previous birth is born in a suitable family to pursue the quest.

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