Chapter 12 Shloka 12

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।

ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्।।१२।।

Knowledge is superior to practice;

meditation is greater than knowledge

and renunciation of the fruits of action

is far superior. Immeasurable peace

is gained through such renunciation.

Chapter 12 Shloka 12

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।

ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्।।१२।।

The Lord says, “Look Arjuna, renounce the fruits of all your deeds” because:

Knowledge is superior to practice; meditation is greater than knowledge and renunciation of the fruits of action is far superior. Immeasurable peace is gained through such renunciation.

Knowledge is superior to practice:

a) Practice devoid of knowledge is meaningless.

b) What can one practice without even knowing what must be practised?

c) If you do not know your goal, then what are you practising to gain?

d) You cannot become an Atmavaan through practice that is unsubstantiated by intellectual understanding. Such practice merely increases one’s attachment with that practice.

e) Practice supported by vivek or the discerning intellect leads the practicant progressively towards his goal.

Then little one!

1. If there is knowledge, practice will be spontaneous and inevitable.

2. If there is knowledge, practice will ensue, devoid of any friction or mental tension.

3. It is indeed difficult to tread the path of Truth in one’s daily life without knowledge as one’s mainstay.

4. Without the support of knowledge, one cannot understand the meaning of yagya, tapas and daan in one’s daily life.

One who is lacking in knowledge of the gross can still be knowledgeable in the sphere of the Spirit

Little one, many times one wonders about many devotees of the Lord who were devoid of academic knowledge and many great souls who were not even educated. Then how did they attain the Supreme Truth without knowledge?

What are the essential ingredients for the inculcation of knowledge?

1. ‘Satsang’ connotes attachment to the Truth.

2. Attachment is a quality of the mind.

3. The mind becomes automatically attached to whatever it appreciates.

4. The mind becomes attached to every sense object that it seeks to possess.

5. It identifies with the object of its attachment.

6. It is this attachment which gives rise to a commonality and harmony with the other.

7. It is this attachment of the mind that causes the individual to become friendly with the other’s attributes.

8. It is this attachment which binds the individual to the object of his thoughts.

9. This attachment strengthens the memory of the object.

10. It promotes co-operation with that object.

11. This mental attachment stimulates and activates the mind.

12. If the mind is attached to the Truth, the result is devotion.

13. If the mind is fond of sense objects, the result is attachment.

14. Attachment of the mind to the Truth augments knowledge.

15. Attachment of the mind with sense objects augments ignorance.

16. Attachment of the mind with the Truth increases luminescence.

17. Attachment of the mind with sense objects leads to darkness.

18. Attachment of the mind to the Truth augments selflessness.

19. Attachment of the mind to sense objects increases one’s desires.

20. Attachment of the mind to the Truth encourages the growth of divine qualities.

21. Attachment of the mind to sense objects increases the demonic tendencies.

22. Attachment of the mind to the Truth promotes charity.

23. Attachment of the mind to objects of the senses increases one’s greed.

24. If the attachment of the mind is directed towards qualities of the Truth, tapas or endurance ensues.

25. If the mind is attached to sense objects, cruelty increases.

26. Yagya is nurtured by the mind which is attached to the Truth.

27. Pride and tyranny are sustained by a mind which is attached to sense objects.

28. Attachment to the Truth hastens the moment of emancipation, but attachment with falsehood becomes a veritable bondage.

Little one, those saints who achieved the Supreme without studying the tenets of knowledge, obviously did not need such knowledge. Those who are devoid of knowledge of the gross can still possess great knowledge in the sphere of spirituality.

Knowledge of the Bhakta or devotee

1. He possesses only that knowledge of the Scriptures that promotes attachment to Truth.

2. He hears discourses that augment attachment to Truth.

3. He associates with saints and virtuous individuals only so that his attachment to Truth increases.

4. Satsang or attachment to Truth does not connote merely listening to the discourses of such saints; it is essentially the practice of divine qualities in one’s practical life.

5. The comprehension of knowledge is not satsang; to prove the practical efficacy of that knowledge in life is satsang.

6. Little one, an interest in listening to scriptural discourses is not the mark of true satsang.

7. If one begins to translate the essence of the knowledge one hears into one’s practical life, that is truly satsang.

8. If you are attached to the Truth, you will start becoming the embodiment of that Truth even as you listen to the tenets of knowledge.

9. If you are truly attached to the Truth, you will at once breathe life into every word of the Lord by the example of your own life.

Little one, the success of your sadhana or spiritual practice is dependent on:

a) your innate attachment;

b) your longing or craving for Truth;

c) the intensity of your longing for Truth;

d) the subtleties of your attachment;

e) the truth and sincerity that underlies your attachment;

f) the depth of your attachment to Truth.

This attachment:

a) gives rise to faith within you;

b) gives you the ability to bring Truth into your life;

c) gives birth to forbearance within you;

d) fills your life with the strength of endurance;

e) generates deeds performed in the spirit of yagya;

f) helps you to transcend the body idea;

g) ensures your union with the Atma.

Little aspirant! All knowledge of spirituality is meant only to strengthen your attachment to Truth.

When attachment with Truth is attained:

a) knowledge flows from within you.

b) the need to associate with external agencies becomes superfluous.

c) your life becomes an embodiment of knowledge.

Let us return to those so-called ‘uneducated’ saints we spoke of before. Perceive carefully where their attachment lies; witness their immeasurable affinity for the Truth. They are forgetful of their gains and losses, their honour or dishonour. What more can they gain from knowledge of the rungs of sadhana or from scriptural decree? They themselves fill life into knowledge. They themselves are proof of the veracity of spiritual knowledge.

Dhyan or meditation

Little one, the Lord now says that dhyan or meditation is superior to knowledge.

If one’s attachment is with the Truth, one’s mind will be constantly fixed on that Truth. Truth will then be one’s constant witness. So also, if the manifest Supreme Brahm is one’s constant witness, one’s life will inevitably become coloured with Truth, and yagya will be the result.

However, little one! Dhyan is of two kinds.

1. One aspirant dwells on all the benefits and joy he has received from the Lord.

2. He thinks of the attributes that he could receive from the Lord.

3. He fixes his mind on the Lord for his own benefit.

4. He thinks of the Lord to obtain comfort and peace.

5. He remembers the Lord to procure protection.

6. He beseeches the Lord to protect his honour at all times.

7. He asks the Lord to protect him and his loved ones.

8. He requests the Lord for an increment of his wealth and other comforts.

The second aspirant focuses his mind on the Lord for the Lord Himself. He seeks to give of himself to His Lord and wishes to invoke Him within his heart. He, so to say, gives his very body to the Lord whilst still alive.

The Lord reincarnated

Little one, if you desire to bring the Lord into this world, you will have to offer Him your living body to dwell in.

a) One must give one’s body along with the support of the mind, the intellect and sense faculties.

b) The body must be given along with all its potential and attributes.

c) The body must be offered along with its gross situations and other accompanying paraphernalia.

d) Along with his body such an aspirant also offers all his relationships to the Lord.

e) Then his wealth and all material comforts too, belong to his Lord.

f) He becomes a servitor of the Lord instead of serving himself.

g) The individual’s ‘I’ then no longer serves him, it serves the Lord.

Little one, understand this carefully. The ‘I’ remains a mere witness and the body, mind and intellect belong to the Lord.

Understand the secret of this phenomenon.

1. The ‘I’ seeks only self-establishment.

2. It only aspires to fulfil the requirements and wishes of the body.

3. The ‘I’ instigates the body to fulfil only its own likes.

4. The ‘I’ is the lord of demons and augments demonic tendencies.

5. The ‘I’ is a perpetual worshipper of the body.

6. The ‘I’ has become attached to the body and is irrevocably bound by this attachment.

7. The ‘I’ is also a servant of the mind and is continually immersed in its entertainment.

Now when the Lord Himself becomes the owner and master of the body, the poor ‘I’ becomes a mere witness. No longer can it continue to worship a single body. It is then that divine qualities begin to flow from the body, mind and intellect.

Now understand the ‘witness’ attitude:

Little one, the relationship of the ‘I’ with the body has already broken.

a) The ‘I’ is aware of how others are treating the body, but the ‘I’ cannot speak.

b) The ‘I’ is witness to the fact that, like the Lord, the body continually forgives everyone – yet it remains silent.

c) It perceives the fact that others take undue advantage of the body, but it does not retaliate.

d) It recognises the unfair insults others hurl at the body, but it says nothing.

e) It perceives others even crushing the body, but says nothing.

f) The ‘I’ realises that others use the body for all kinds of wrong work, but it remains silent.

g) It realises that others use that body only to fulfil their selfish needs; yet it says nothing.

h) The ‘I’ has simply given its body to the Lord.

­­–  Now how can it say anything? Its tongue belongs to the Lord!

­­–  How shall it protect the body? The body now belongs to the Lord and the ‘I’ no longer owns any limb which it could use for self-protection.

­­–  The Lord does nothing for self-protection and the ‘I’ has become mute.

­­–  The Lord does not seek to establish Himself and the ‘I’ is silent.

After some time, the ‘I’ ceases even to be a witness.

The Lord now says that the renunciation of fruits of actions is superior to meditation or dhyan. Such renunciation of the fruits of one’s deeds leads to the intensification of one’s meditation and the focusing of one’s mind.

1. It is difficult to focus one’s mind effectively if one is worried about the fruits of one’s deeds.

2. If one does not strengthen one’s ability to meditate, true knowledge cannot emerge.

3. If there is no knowledge, how can there be any practice for union with the Supreme?

4. If practice is lacking, one cannot surrender one’s mind and intellect to the Lord.

5. If one is unable to offer one’s mind and intellect to the Lord, the body idea cannot be relinquished.

Therefore, renunciation of the fruits of action is the most superior path for the sadhak. He cannot progress any further without such an attitude of renunciation.