Today, Swami Kaivalyanandaji discussed the final part of the 12th chapter of the Gita, ‘Bhakti Yoga.’ Here is one shloka;

‘Tulyanindastutir mauni, santushta yena kena cit,
Aniketa sthiramatir, bhaktiman me priyo narah.’ 12.19

Here, the Lord gives more characteristics of a devotee, or ‘bhakta.’ He says, ‘he is equal in praise and blame, silent, happy with anything that comes, with no home, and firm intellect, that devotee is dear to Me.’

Here, the Lord says the devotee is equal in praise and blame. When it says that one is ‘equal’ in these two, it means that externally, one can never avoid these. One may think, ‘because the devotee is so great, and loves all beings, how can there be enemies?’ However, this is a law of creation. If there are those who praise, there will also be those who criticize, who curse. If that is true in the case of Avatars, what to say about the devotee?

Then it says, ‘mauni,’ silent. Shankara says that this means controlling one’s words. The devotee isn’t externally silent, because he is engaged in singing the Lord’s glories, etc. So, this means controlling one’s speech, not saying unnecessary things, etc.

Then it says ‘santushta,’ content, or happy. This is something that comes in every sadhana. When the Gita describes the jnani, or the bhakta, or the karma yogi, even in the Yoga sutras, this ‘santosham’ is a main characteristic of a sadhak. But what do some people say? They say, ‘what about those who long for God? Isn’t that sadness? Doesn’t that give them tension?’

Swami said that almost all the time, when a person says this, they are confusing the tension and depression they experience from their own situations and problems with longing for God. That is never right. That kind of longing is only seen in such a high state of sadhana. Instead, we confuse our own tensions from our own worldly problems and justify it, thinking that it is tension to reach God. Instead, the Lord says here that a necessary trait of a bhakta is ‘santosha,’ happiness, peace. Without this, one isn’t a devotee. That means that the mind is immersed somewhere else, not in God. So we should never try to justify our mental tensions, saying ‘I am a devotee.’ A real devotee will have ‘santosham,’ happiness, and ‘shanti,’ peace.

Then it says ‘aniketa.’ This means to be without a home. Shankaracharya comments this as meaning a wandering sanyassi, or ‘parivrajaka.’ In other words, the devotee’s renunciation is so intense and so immersed in the Lord that all attachments are given up. Such a sanyassi never stays in one place, and never secures anything for his protection.

This is why Swami said that we cannot be proud of our renunciation. Such people don’t think about their security, or where to sleep, what to eat, etc. Here, all of that is provided. However, that is a very high state, and not something that is undertaken with one’s own intention. It is something that only happens spontaneously.

Instead, some people hear these things and without being in such a state, renounce and wander aimlessly. That is why the Lord says, ‘sthira mati’ – one with a balanced mind. When we see these people who wander, almost all have lost their mental balance. These are not the ‘parivrajakas’ that Shankara describes. This happens because without this maturity, one tries to follow that life by one’s own intention. If one realizes that one is not suitable for that, then one is saved, but if one continues, it will only destroy one’s mental balance. Thus it says, ‘sthira mati,’ with a firm and balanced mind, ‘that devotee is dear to Me.’

Piyush,
July 12, 2007