I finished reading Adhyaya 7 last week. But looking back, I cannot think of a clear takeaway - except maybe for Text 16. It goes like this:
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जना: सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ
Translation:
O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service into me - the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
When I read this, I wondered how can the distressed and the desirer of wealth be categorically called 'Pious'. Most of us think of God when we are in distress, when we are sad or confused. That doesn't make us pious. If a person goes to God because he wants wealth, then he clearly is seeing God as the means to an end and not an end in itself. Both these people are on the path of spirituality temporarily. And as far as the inquisitive and those searching for knowledge of the Absolute are concerned, it's more likely that they will veer off the spiritual path sooner rather than later because it takes a lot of patience - a commodity that's increasingly becoming rare - to keep walking on it.
The purport says that 'These are not pure devotees because they have some aspiration to fulfill in exchange for devotional service'. Can such people even be called 'Devotees', let alone 'Pure' ones? And is it possible to find a pure devotee in this day and age?
Which category do I fall in? Certainly 'the distressed'. It usually begins with 'God! Why me?'. But not 'the desirer of wealth' - not because I don't care for money but because I believe that no one can give you a penny more or a penny less than what you are destined to get. So 'try your best and leave the rest to God' is the motto that I have chosen to follow since a long time now. I also honestly cannot call myself 'a searcher for knowledge of the Absolute' because my steps in that direction are so small that they will give even 'baby steps' a complex! But yes, I am inquisitive about this whole life, Karma and assorted business. But am I pious? Hell no - even if you stretch the definition of this term all the way to China!
All in all, this Adhyaya left me with more questions than answers.
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जना: सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ
Translation:
O best among the Bharatas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service into me - the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.
When I read this, I wondered how can the distressed and the desirer of wealth be categorically called 'Pious'. Most of us think of God when we are in distress, when we are sad or confused. That doesn't make us pious. If a person goes to God because he wants wealth, then he clearly is seeing God as the means to an end and not an end in itself. Both these people are on the path of spirituality temporarily. And as far as the inquisitive and those searching for knowledge of the Absolute are concerned, it's more likely that they will veer off the spiritual path sooner rather than later because it takes a lot of patience - a commodity that's increasingly becoming rare - to keep walking on it.
The purport says that 'These are not pure devotees because they have some aspiration to fulfill in exchange for devotional service'. Can such people even be called 'Devotees', let alone 'Pure' ones? And is it possible to find a pure devotee in this day and age?
Which category do I fall in? Certainly 'the distressed'. It usually begins with 'God! Why me?'. But not 'the desirer of wealth' - not because I don't care for money but because I believe that no one can give you a penny more or a penny less than what you are destined to get. So 'try your best and leave the rest to God' is the motto that I have chosen to follow since a long time now. I also honestly cannot call myself 'a searcher for knowledge of the Absolute' because my steps in that direction are so small that they will give even 'baby steps' a complex! But yes, I am inquisitive about this whole life, Karma and assorted business. But am I pious? Hell no - even if you stretch the definition of this term all the way to China!
All in all, this Adhyaya left me with more questions than answers.
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