Mankind, however comfortably and happily placed in life, has to have taste of suffering or scarcity at least to a small degree. The suffering may be mental or physical. There is no need to depict the sufferings of people who are not well placed in life or in disease or in his/her transactions with others. When the sufferings become unbearable, people curse others who made them suffer or were responsible directly or otherwise for their misery.
Bhāratīya tradition, which believes in the principle of transmigration of the soul from one life form to another has taught many, that the miseries could not be avoided, however remedies have been put to use for overcoming them. When all possible methods fail, perticularly when every person refuses to come to their aid, they are driven inevitably to appeal great saints and other holy men they know for redressal of their miseries or cry out to God for help. It then dawns upon their mind that the misdeeds done by them in the previous and present lives are now bearing fruits. With an agonizing mind they seek to end these miseries for once and for all. It is then, they seek the help of a learned man to advise them what they should do to get over the present sufferings and also avoid taking another life. Thus they seek to know the means of liberation.
The Pāñcarātra texts prescribe the methods to get complete freedom from bondage. The Jayākhya Saṁhitā, Ahirbudhnya Saṁhitā, Lakṣmī Tantra and the Pādma Saṁhitā discuss this matter. Knowledge of Brahman and ātman is essential to understand reality. The knowledge is of two kinds sattā and kriyā. The latter is of two kinds namely yama and niyama, that is moral duties and minor observances. They are described in the Yoga-sūtras of Patañjali. Sattā is the understanding that there is no knowledge that is different from Brahman. That is Brahman is ever with the knowledge that arises.
The Ahirbudhnya Saṁhitā approaches this matter in the following way. The souls require what is beneficial to them and desire to know how to get it (sādhana). What is beneficial is the permanent happiness that is marked by the total cessation of the series of sufferings.
ātyantikī nivṛttistu puṁso yā duḥkkha santate |
tayopalakṣitaṁ nityaṁ sukhaṁ taddhi hitaṁ smṛtam ||
This happiness is full of of Bhagavān and is called the Bhagavattā. That is the means for this, which effects it without absolute necessity (without deviation).
svarūpa bhūtaṁ yat puṁso hitaṁ tat sukhamīritam |
bhagavanmayatā sāsya bhagavattā parāhvayā ||
This cause is of two kinds, namely jñāna and dharma. The former is produced by karma which is of the nature of actual worship of Bhagavān. The Pāñcarātra is of the dharma kind that would bring in the result directly without any hindrance or delay. Vedas too become the means, however producing the result with delay.
The Sanatkumāra Samhitā deals with yogic practices. One must take to Karma Yoga and then Jñāna Yoga. The adept should meditate upon Nārāyaṇa. This would make him attain Viṣṇu loka. The Pādma Saṁhitā enjoins meditation as the method of getting freedom from bondage. The Deity beheld in meditation is of three kinds, viz. gross, subtle and transcendental. Bhagavān's form having thousand heads, thousand feet, one with the four arms, his different incarnations etc. and others belong to the gross kind. The subtle form which is part less and also having parts , is represented by a mass of lustre. The part less form is saccidānanda, that is the existence, sentience and bliss.
It is in the Lakṣmī Tantra that the means of emancipation are given in detail. Karmas, Sāṁkhyas, Yoga and Sarvatyāga are the four means mentioned here. Karma here is of the obligatory (nitya) conditioned by a cause (naimittika), that which is prompted by a personal desire (kāmya) is to be avoided. The karmas that are done is to be surrendered to Vāsudeva by those who seek emancipation. Giving up one's agency and fruit of the karma by surrender is meant here.
śeṣataika rasena mayā svakīyaiścopakaranaiḥ svārādhanaika prayojanāya svaśeṣabhūtamidaṁ karma svayameva kārayati |
This when done as an act of worship is said to be pleasing to Śrī.
śāstrīyamācaran naivaṁ nitya naimittikātmakam |
madārādhana kāmaḥ san śāśvat prīṇati māṁ naraḥ ||
Those who take up any method of attaining mokṣa shall give up their personal desires, must be bold, pure and have control over their senses. By doing the karma entrusted upon them on the account of their hierarchy in life (āśrama) will make them merge in to, or to have sājuya with, Vāsudeva. The duties of a householder include compulsorily which are laid down in Pāñcarātras. There is nothing to prevent the householder who is devoted to do niṣkāma karma from getting supreme jñāna of Vedānta and reaching Viṣṇu's abode. Karma may become part of the knowledge of Bhagavān. Niṣkāma karma is of a special kind. Bhagavān becomes pleased with those who are devoted to Him and those who have surrendered themselves to Him. Bhagavān Sadāviṣṇu bestows jñāna upon him who takes to doing such types of karmas.
Sāṁkhya is the second method. The word sāṁkhya means the knowledge of things in the world, speculative knowledge and complete knowledge. Meaning of Sāṁkhya is stated to cover all 24 tattvas defined by the system. The treatment given to these tattvas should be recapitulated. The correct knowledge which the adept gets then is called Parisaṁkhyāna. Parisaṁkhyāna is Jñāna Yoga. Pāñcarātra follows the Vedic tradition in holding knowledge of Brahman leading to the Supreme Destination, and declares that there is nothing else than knowledge that makes a being cross over bondage -
jñānaṁ vinā caivānnarāṇāṁ tārakaṁ smṛtam |
One should do the karmas while being engrossed in knowledge. The benefit which one receives from Jñāna yoga while doing karma, is repeatedly stressed. Any rite that is done with concentration on Brahman becomes pure and will certainly remain imperishable. Even this type of karma is inferior to pure knowledge. The knowledge of Brahman is thus emphasized all over.
The third method is Yoga which is of two kinds, namely samādhi and saṁyama. Samādhi results by the practice of the components of yoga. This consists in the adept staying in the Supreme Brahman called Śrīnivāsa from where there is no reversal of position. There is then no difference as meditator and object of meditation. Saṁyama means sat karmas relating to the attainment of Supreme Self. This is of two kinds: mental and physical. This would produce correct perception at which Śrī would become pleased and would give the knowledge which will be indescribable. For this purpose Pāñcarātra enjoins meditation on Brahman.
🙏 Namo Narasimha 🙏
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