Sri Kānchi Mahāperiyavā on Sri Bhagavān Bhāsyakāra's position on Iśvara bhakti, in jnāna mārga

 Sri Kanchi Mahaperiyavaa on Sri BhagavAn BhAsyakAra's position on Ishwara Bhakti, in JnAna maarga

He says, ‘This Gita Sasthra must not be imparted to anyone who doesn’t possess thapas and bhakthi and does not do service. ’ Unlike the other Adhvaitha sasthras, the Gita that He preached is not limited only to those who have reached an advanced stage in the Adhvaitha sadhana.

The granthas that exclusively detail Adhvaitha do not touch upon karma and upasana this elaborately; there is very limited mention of these aspects in these granthas. Other than acknowledging their necessity in the beginning stages, they don’t elaborate on them any further. Thus, even though Bhagawan did make sure that His instructions were only directed at deserving disciples, He didn’t limit them only to those who were about to enter the stage of self- inquiry. He aimed His GitOpadesa towards everyone, even the ones who desire to climb the very first step of the ladder of the spiritual life, following any one of the paths of karma, bhakthi, or jnana. Therefore it contains a lot of information concerning the Dhvaitha and also Advaita. 

Isn’t Adhvaitha opposite of Dhvaitha? ’ To prevent such doubts from arising, He also mentions a lot of details linking these two. This is where He happens to mention, ‘Iswara is the one who lifts up the JIva from Dhvaitha to Adhvaitha.’ This is not touched upon very much in the Sasthras that are exclusively meant for Adhvaitha. He lucidly explains such details as, ‘Maya is not torn by the sadhana of the sadhaka-, only Iswara krupa tears it up. ’

He was not a utthamadhikari (rightful recipient at the highest level). He was only a ‘yoga’ sadhaka, who could perform his swadharama karma as Iswara aradhana (dedicated to Iswara] without being concerned about its fruits and cleanse his thoughts. That is, he was only a madhyamadhikari (rightful recipient at the medium level). Acharya has established this interpretation in his bhashya.

Even if one keeps doing bhakthi with a Dhvaitha bhava, he can gradually realize his inner Self (making this realization possible is also His grace!) and eventually merge into this Self, becoming one with it in the Adhvaitha mode. This is Bhagawan’s upadesa (advice) (Gita 18-55).

Our Acharya didn’t totally refrain from mentioning this aspect of the ultimate jnana attained only through Iswara krupa, either; he does make a few such references here and there. Not just in his bhakthi sthothras such as ‘SoundhArya Lahari’, ‘Sivanandha Lahari’, etc., but even in a few references here and there in jnana granthas, he does mention that Paramathma Himself grants moksha after dispelling Maya. Let me simply say that jnana, moksha, Advaita, etc. materialize only because of the grace of Iswara, which is very well acceptable to them.’ Thinking along these fines, Acharya might have mentioned it in those bhakthi sthothras. However, when such a mention is made in his works of bhashya granthas and prakaraHa granthas on jnana marga instead, it carries a lot higher value.

Had Acharya mentioned it in the context of his commentary for verses of Gita such as, ‘Surrender to Iswara in all your bhavas (hues of emotion); you will attain the everlasting, peaceful state of Adhvaitha moksha through His grace,’ it would not be of tremendous significance. However, when he inserts this concept and mentions its greatness in his bhashyas in contexts in the original granthas that do not particularly refer to this grace of Iswara, it becomes very significant.

For instance, in the same eighteenth chapter, before talking about this piece on surrendering in all the bhavas, Bhagawan says, ‘One must never give up his designated karma. He must perform those very swakarmas and swadharmas as a dedication to Iswara to gratify Him. In that case, he attains siddhi. That is, (according to Acharya bhashya) he becomes qualified for jnana nishta. Acharya brings in the Iswara krupa here by saying, ‘Performing his swakarma as a dedication to Iswara, attaining the siddhi of jnana nishta that was born from the grace of Iswara A’ Acharya uses the word ‘thathprasadhajam’ in his bhashya for this, while the original verse makes no mention of Iswara prasadam (gift). Through this, he clarifies that adherence to swakarma doesn’t provide the qualification for Self-inquiry on its own - this qualification is obtained only when Iswara grants it as the effect of such adherence.

[ Following section is quotes from Gita Bhasyam 

from the bhasya : - 

Tam-eva iaranatn gaccha sarva-bhāvena Bhārata

Tat-prasādāt-parAm śAntim sthānam prApsyasi śāśvatam

18.62. Resort to Him alone as refuge with all your heart, O Bhārata; by His Grace shall you attain supreme peace (and) the Eternal Abode. 

Bhasyam: Resort to Him alone, the Lord (īśvara), as refuge, for the removal of the distress of samsāra, with all your heart, with your whole being, O Bhārata; thereupon, by His Grace, the Grace of Iśvara, shall you attain supreme, pre-eminent, peace, perfect indifference to worldly attachments, and the Eternal Abode, the Supreme State of Mine, i.e. Visnu

]

Acharya conveys this concept [i.e. As a fruit for their karma yoga, Isvara grants purity of chittha and conditions a Jiva for jnana nishta - Sri MahAperiyavA's quote] quite explicitly. 

[ See Gita References of Sri Aacharya referring to Ishwara's grace - placed here for reader's contemplation and benefit

See 2.39

Karmajam buddhi yuktā hi phalam tyaktvā manisīnah

Janma-bandha-vinirmuktāh padam gacchantyanāmayam

This which has been declared unto you is wisdom in regard to Sāmkhya. Hearken now to the wisdom of Yoga, endowed with which, O son of Prthā, you shall break through the bond of karma

Bhasya: The Lord praises the wisdom of Yoga for stimulating (Arjuna's) interest: Endowed with which, (wisdom) concerning Yoga, 0 son of Prthā, you shall break through the bond of karma : karma itself, called by the names of dharma and adharma (virtue and sin) is the bond ; and the breaking of the bond by attaining the Knowledge (of the Self) is to be brought about by Isvara's grace.

See 14.27

I am the power - Isvarasakti by the manifestation of which Brahman shows His grace etc. to His devotees, and thereby I am Brahman Himself, for sakti (power) cannot be distinct from one in whom it is inherent. 

15th chapter intro

Because I am the dispenser of the fruit of action of the karmis and the fruit of knowledge of the wise, those who serve me with Bhakti-Yoga rise above the modes through the attainment of knowledge by My grace, and then attain to Moksha. What then to speak of those who know rightly the real nature of the Self?!

18.50

How he, who has reached (such) perfection, consisting in his body and sense-organs becoming qualified for devotion to the path of Knowledge, through the Grace of the Lord Whom he has worshipped by performing his prescribed duty...

Though Brahman is extremely well-known, easily grasped, very near, and is the very Self, He appears to the tin-enlightened as unknown, difficult to grasp, and very far, and as if He were different (from themselves), because their buddhi (reason) has been carried away by the differentia of names and forms invented by avidyā. On the other hand, for those who have turned their buddhi away from external forms, who have secured the grace of the Guru and serenity (propitiousness) of the mind (ātmā), there is nothing else more blissful, more well-known, more easily grasped, and more intimate (than Brahman).

18.56 - Prequel

The fruit of Bhakti-yoga, which is the worship of Isvara through one's appropriate karma (duty), is the attainment of the perfection which consists in becoming qualified for jnAna nishta, which, brought about by the former (bhakti-yoga) terminates in Moksa (liberation). This Yoga of Devotion to the Lord is now praised, in the section which sums up the teaching of the (Geeta) Śāstra, with a view to confirming what has been settled as the teaching of the Śāstra.

Sarva-kannānyapi sudd kurvāno mad-vyapāśrayah

Mat-prasādād-avdpnoli śasvaiam padam-avyayain

56. Even doing all actions always, taking refuge in Me, he attains to the eternal, immutable state by My Grace.

Even doing, engaging in, all actions always, though they may be prohibited actions as well, taking refuge in Me, Vāsudeva, the Lord (Iśvara); that is, with his entire self offered to Me, he, that man, attains to the eternal, ever-lasting, immutable state of Visnu, by My Grace, the Grace of Isvara. 

Sri Anandagiri says - that liberation is possible only through the Plenary Wisdom obtainable by the Lord's Grace, and not merely (by the performance of) works.

18.58 

Mac-cittah sarva-durgāni mat-prasādāt-tarisyasi

Atha cet-tvain-ahamkārān-na śrosyasi vinamksyasi

58. Fixing your mind on Me, you shall, by My Grace, overcome all difficulties; but if, from self-conceit, you will not hear (Me), you shall perish.

18.58 Bhasya - Fixing your mind on Me, you shall, by My Grace, overcome, cross over, all difficulties, which are insuperable and constitute the cause of samsāra.

18.62

Resort to Him alone as refuge with all your heart, O Bhārata; by His Grace shall you attain supreme peace (and) the Eternal Abode.

Resort to Him alone, the Lord (īśvara), as refuge, for the removal of the distress of samsāra, with all your heart, with your whole being, O B/iārata; thereupon, by His Grace, the Grace of Iśvara, shall you attain supreme, pre-eminent, peace, perfect indifference to worldly attachments, and the Eternal Abode, the Supreme State of Mine, Visnu.

18.77

Sri Sankara says - Wherever, on that side on which, is Krnsa, the Lord of Yoga-He is the Lord of all Yogas, since the seed of all Yoga originates from Him. 

To this term Yogesvara - Sri Anandagiri in his Teeka says - 

All Yoga i.e. both iñāna-yoga and Karma-yoga, have for their seed discrimination (jnāna) and non-attachment (vairāgya), which arise from the Śāstra; and this (seed) depends on the Lord as it is impossible of attainment without His Grace. Therefore, since Yoga and its fruit arc attainable only through the Lord's Grace, He is the Lord of Yoga.

This was also mentioned by Sri Aacharya in Gita Intro - Out of sheer grace towards living beings (His creatures), there being no personal interest of His own, He imparted knowledge of the two Paths of the Vedic Religion to Arjuna

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