"I have spoken of three paths leading to the attainment of Moksha by men
-- Jnana, Karma and Bhakti Yogas. There is no other means what so ever
of attaining Moksha. Jnana Yoga is for those that are disgusted with the
performance of Karma and so give it up.
"Karma Yoga is for those that are not disgusted with the performance of
Karma but are attached to it.
"He who perchance becomes fond of what is said or spoken of Me, but has
no aversion for Karma nor has any undue attachment to it is fit for
Bhakti Yoga.
"Perform Karma so long as you do not feel disgust for it or as long as
you are not drawn by love for me. True to your duties, perform Yajnas
but without any selfish desires. Do not perform prohibited Karma. Then
you shall cross the limits of both Svarga and Naraka.
"By the performance of one's own duties, the purified man may acquire
pure wisdom (Jnana) and Bhakti.
"The dwellers of Svarga wish for the human body and so the dwellers of
Naraka. For that body is a means to the attainment of of Jnana and
Bhakti both, not so the Svarga body or Naraka body.
"The far-sighted man does not wish for Svarga or Naraka. He does not
even wish for human existence. For connection with the body causes
selfish distractions.
"The sage knows the body as leading to desired for ends. But he realises
at the same time its transitory character. He therefore loses no time in
striving for Moksha before the approach of death. Even so the bird loses
all attachment for its nest and flies away free and happy before the man
who strikes at the tree succeeds in felling it.
"The human body which is the primal source of all attainments is a well
built boat, so hard to secure and so cheap when once attained. The Guru
is at the helm of this boat, and I am the favorable wind that drives it.
The man that does not cross the ocean of births with such a boat is a
killer of self.
"_Jnana_: -- When a man feels disgust for karma and becomes
dispassionate and when his senses are controlled, he should practise
concentration of mind.
"When in the act of concentration, the mind suddenly goes astray and
becomes unsettled, you should bring it back under the control of self,
with unremitting efforts, after allowing it to go in its wandering
course a little.
"Never neglect however to check the course of the mind with your Pranas
and senses all controlled. With the help of Satvic Buddhi bring the mind
under the control of self.
"This control of the mind is the highest yoga. The horseman slackens the
reins at first but never lets go the reins. Reflect on the creative
manifestation of all objects and then the contrary process of their
dissolution, according to the Sankhya method. Do this till the mind
attains calm.
"By cultivating a sense of disgust, by the growth of dispassion, by
constant pondering over the teachings of the Guru, the mind gives up its
delusion.
"By practising Yama and other ways of Yoga, by discrimination of self
and by worshipping Me, the mind is able to think of the Supreme.
"If by loss of mental balance, the Yogi does some improper act he should
burn up the impurity by Yoga alone, but not by any other means (not by
expiatory rites. _Sridhara_)
"Adherence to the particular path of one's own following is the right
thing. People have been taught to distinguish between right and wrong,
not because the acts are not all impure by their very nature but because
the distinction is necessary to regulate the acts themselves with a view
to cause a final abandonment of all attachments to them". (It may be
said that according to the scriptures, Nitya Karma (acts ordained to be
daily performed) and Naimittika Karma (acts ordained to be occasionally
performed) purify the mind. Hence they are _right_ (_guna_). The killing
of animals and such other acts make the mind impure. Hence they are
_wrong_ (_dosha_). Expiatory acts (Prayaschitta) are required to be
performed in order to remove the consequences of wrong acts. Therefore
Prayaschitta is a right thing (_guna_). How can impurities be destroyed
by means of Yoga then and not by means of Prayaschitta: therefore it is
said that what is called Guna (right) and Dosha (wrong) by injunctions
and prohibitions, is only a regulation of acts. The purport is this. The
impurities of a man are not the outcome of his own inclinations. Man is
impure through his natural tendencies. It is not possible for him all on
a sudden to have disinclination for all actions. Therefore "Do this,"
"Do not do this," these injunctions and prohibitions only put a
restriction upon the inclinations of a man and by this means, they lead
to disinclination. The Yogis have no inclinations. The rules of
Prayaschitta are therefore not meant for them. _Sridhara_.)
Bhakti: -- "He who has reverential faith in all that is said about Me,
and who feels disgust for all actions, who knows that desires are
identical with misery, but is yet in-capable of renouncing them, such a
man should worship Me, with sincere devotion and firm faith. Though
gratifying his desires, he should not have any attachment for them,
knowing that they lead to misery in the end. Those that constantly
worship Me according to Bhakti yoga as already expounded by Me, have all
the desires of their heart destroyed as I myself dwell in their heart.
The bondage is broken asunder, doubts all cease to exist, the
accumulated actions fade away, when I, the Atma of all, am seen. My
Bhakta speedily attains every thing that is attained by other means,
Svarga, Moksha or even My own abode, if he has any desire for any of
these. But My Bhaktas who are solely devoted to Me do not desire any
thing even if it be offered by Me, not even final liberation. They are
beyond the limits of Guna and Dosha."