ॐ
PHRASES IN THE GITA - 75
उदाराः सर्व एवै ते । (अध्याय ७ - श्लोक १८)
உதாராஹ் ஸர்வ ஏவைதே ... (அத்யாயம் 7 - ஶ்லோகம் 18)
Udaaraah Sarva Evai The ... (Chapter 7 - Shloka 18)
Meaning : All the four types (of Devotees) are Great ...
Shri Krishna describes the Gyaani devotee as Special in shloka 17 . He further says that , "He loves Me and I Love him" . The most eloquent description of Gyaani devotee by Shri Krishna , was in the 18th shloka wherein He says that , "The Gyaani is verily Myself" .
What does Shri Krishna say about the other three types of Devotees ? In the shloka 18 , He describes all the four types as 'Udaaraah' (nearest English word is Great !) . Most of us may be puzzled . After describing Gyaani with such 'Superlative' adjectives , why does He say that all the four types are Great ? This was a question raised by Shri Mohanarangam , a retired Bank officer in ShriRangam .
Shri Krishna can not be illogical . If His words seem so , the problem has to be in our grasp .
Almost all the Hindus seem to fit in the three types , nay two types mentioned by Shri Krishna , namely the wailing ones and the demanding ones . The wailing ones ... There is no dearth of miseries in our lives . We find so many around us who cry , plead , wail in God's Sannidhi in every temple , small and big . But , they do not stop at that . They carry on their wailings or pleadings or crying with anyone and everyone willing to spare a few minutes for them . For them , God is one of the many who give patient hearing . They plead with God , wail in front of God also because He does not respond with His own miseries and thus cut short these devotees' pleadings ... There is a huge difference between the 'Aartha' devotee mentioned by Shri Krishna and these grieving ones . The Aartha has Poorna Shraddha in God . He is devoted to God . For him , God is like a mother is to a child . The child does not approach others for expressing its problems and pains . It discloses its pains and miseries only to mother . If someone else appears while the child is wailing , it wipes off the tears and acts as if there is no problem . Similarly , the Aartha devotee has no faith in worldly 'ears' . His faith (Sharaddha) is only on the best listener , the God . The devotee does not even bother about resolution of his problems . He returns from temple with total contentment . He is happy that he has told everything to the God and is absolutely sure that , 'He will do what is best for me' .
Similarly the demanding ones ... Almost every second person around us visits the temple with a petition of demands . These may not be called 'Devotees' . Their monologue in God's Sannidhi may not be called 'Prayer' . For them God is an agent who will supply all they list in their petition . God is not their only agent . He is just one of the agents , or probably the Supreme one . They place their petition with political bosses , Government agencies etc . They try other illegal routes to get the demands fulfilled . They approach God , only because they feel that God will strengthen their 'case' . They are afraid that , if God is not pleased , He may spoil their 'case' . The Artharthi devotee is hugely different from these petitioners . His Shraddha is only on the Paramaatman . He does not approach the worldly 'powers' with his demands . He does not resort to other avenues for getting his demands fulfilled . For him , God is the only Avenue . God is the only Power . He too , like the Aartha devotee is not bothered whether his demands are met by God . For him , the God is like father to a child . The child does not approach more powerful or wealthier neighbour with its demands . The petitioners , on the other hand , stop going to temples , change Gods , even break and throw away God - forms if demands are not met .
There are a few 'intellectual' debaters , but they are not of Jigyaasu type . Their intellectual analysis of the Paramaatman is more to satiate their 'Ego' than to know Him . The Jigyyasu does not inquire about God for worldly recognition or University degrees or appreciation by fellow humans .
That is why Shri Krishna calls 'all the four types are Udaaraah' or Great . That is why he uses the word 'Sukrutinah' or Noble ones while talking about His devotees . He does not use the word devotee for all the temple visitors and all 'ritualistic' worshippers . His description of Bhakti or devotion in 12th chapter does not have a single reference to temple visits , formal worships , flowers , hymns , fasts and other rigorous rituals performed in the name of God .
Shri Krishna describes the Gyaani devotee as Special in shloka 17 . He further says that , "He loves Me and I Love him" . The most eloquent description of Gyaani devotee by Shri Krishna , was in the 18th shloka wherein He says that , "The Gyaani is verily Myself" .
What does Shri Krishna say about the other three types of Devotees ? In the shloka 18 , He describes all the four types as 'Udaaraah' (nearest English word is Great !) . Most of us may be puzzled . After describing Gyaani with such 'Superlative' adjectives , why does He say that all the four types are Great ? This was a question raised by Shri Mohanarangam , a retired Bank officer in ShriRangam .
Shri Krishna can not be illogical . If His words seem so , the problem has to be in our grasp .
Almost all the Hindus seem to fit in the three types , nay two types mentioned by Shri Krishna , namely the wailing ones and the demanding ones . The wailing ones ... There is no dearth of miseries in our lives . We find so many around us who cry , plead , wail in God's Sannidhi in every temple , small and big . But , they do not stop at that . They carry on their wailings or pleadings or crying with anyone and everyone willing to spare a few minutes for them . For them , God is one of the many who give patient hearing . They plead with God , wail in front of God also because He does not respond with His own miseries and thus cut short these devotees' pleadings ... There is a huge difference between the 'Aartha' devotee mentioned by Shri Krishna and these grieving ones . The Aartha has Poorna Shraddha in God . He is devoted to God . For him , God is like a mother is to a child . The child does not approach others for expressing its problems and pains . It discloses its pains and miseries only to mother . If someone else appears while the child is wailing , it wipes off the tears and acts as if there is no problem . Similarly , the Aartha devotee has no faith in worldly 'ears' . His faith (Sharaddha) is only on the best listener , the God . The devotee does not even bother about resolution of his problems . He returns from temple with total contentment . He is happy that he has told everything to the God and is absolutely sure that , 'He will do what is best for me' .
Similarly the demanding ones ... Almost every second person around us visits the temple with a petition of demands . These may not be called 'Devotees' . Their monologue in God's Sannidhi may not be called 'Prayer' . For them God is an agent who will supply all they list in their petition . God is not their only agent . He is just one of the agents , or probably the Supreme one . They place their petition with political bosses , Government agencies etc . They try other illegal routes to get the demands fulfilled . They approach God , only because they feel that God will strengthen their 'case' . They are afraid that , if God is not pleased , He may spoil their 'case' . The Artharthi devotee is hugely different from these petitioners . His Shraddha is only on the Paramaatman . He does not approach the worldly 'powers' with his demands . He does not resort to other avenues for getting his demands fulfilled . For him , God is the only Avenue . God is the only Power . He too , like the Aartha devotee is not bothered whether his demands are met by God . For him , the God is like father to a child . The child does not approach more powerful or wealthier neighbour with its demands . The petitioners , on the other hand , stop going to temples , change Gods , even break and throw away God - forms if demands are not met .
There are a few 'intellectual' debaters , but they are not of Jigyaasu type . Their intellectual analysis of the Paramaatman is more to satiate their 'Ego' than to know Him . The Jigyyasu does not inquire about God for worldly recognition or University degrees or appreciation by fellow humans .
That is why Shri Krishna calls 'all the four types are Udaaraah' or Great . That is why he uses the word 'Sukrutinah' or Noble ones while talking about His devotees . He does not use the word devotee for all the temple visitors and all 'ritualistic' worshippers . His description of Bhakti or devotion in 12th chapter does not have a single reference to temple visits , formal worships , flowers , hymns , fasts and other rigorous rituals performed in the name of God .
Comments
Post a Comment