Patanjali Yoga Sutra — कृतार्थं प्रति नष्टमप्यनष्टं तदन्यसाधारणत्वात् ॥2.22॥
kṛtārthaṃ prati naṣṭamapyanaṣṭaṃ tadanyasādhāraṇatvāt॥
For a realized sādhaka, prakṛti (Māya) no longer exists. But for others, it continues to exist.
The liberated Yogis see only magnanimous Paramātma everywhere. Prakṛti and Puruṣa are no longer different from each other for them. Every living being is Paramātma. Every inanimate object in Prakṛti is also a manifestation of Universal Soul. In fact, this is the subject matter of all our Upaniṣads — ब्रह्म सत्य जगत् मिथ्य॥
Even from the viewpoint of common man, we see innumerable examples of nature (Prakṛti) worship in our scriptures, epics and mythology. Lord Śrīkr̥ṣṇa advocated the worship of Mount Goverdhana in Bhāgavata. Sri Rāma worships the ocean before constructing a bridge to cross over to Lanka. For Hindus, all living beings like snakes, elephants, cows, etc are worthy of worship. All inanimate objects like rivers, trees, stones are also sacred and worthy of adoration, because, everything is a manifestation of Paramātma alone.
A man asked Guruji ‘why your religion has got so many Gods? Our religion has got only one God’. Guruji replied ‘Yes, your religion has only one God; but our religion has only God’.
Bhagavān promulgates why Prakṛti is sacred:
कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम्।
अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम्॥गीता ५.२६॥
kāmakrodhaviyuktānāṃ yatīnāṃ yatacetasām|
abhito brahmanirvāṇaṃ vartate viditātmanām॥Gītā 5.26॥
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि।
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः॥गीता ६.२९॥
sarvabhūtasthamātmānaṃ sarvabhūtāni cātmani|
īkñate yogayuktātmā sarvatra samadarśanaḥ॥Gītā 6.29॥
To those yogis who have conquered lust and fury, whose mind is totally under control, who are spiritually evolved and realized, Parabrahma Paramātma is everywhere. Such a yogi sees ātman everywhere, in every creature. He also sees everything in ātman himself (How magnanimous a yogi is!!)
विद्याविनय सम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि।
शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः॥गीता ५.१८॥
vidyāvinaya sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini.
śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ samadarśinaḥ ॥ Gītā 5.18॥
This enlightened sādhaka views a brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog’s meat eater with equanimity (All are manifestations of ātman alone and hence equal to Him).
When sādhaka sees oneself in everything, his self-centeredness or selfishness could vanish and becomes broad-hearted, poised. When he can see everything in himself, he can realize Omni potency of ‘Self’. In vibhūti yoga (Chapter 10), Bhagavān describes the first proposal, ie., “I am everywhere”, giving a versatile account of His magnanimity and all-pervasiveness of the ‘Self’ and in viśvarūpa darśana yoga (Chapter 11), He shows that entire universe is in Himself, showing the might of ‘Self’. A similar message is promulgated when Bāla Śrīkr̥ṣṇa shows the all-pervading universe to mother Yashoda, in His tiny mouth.
viśvarūpa of Paramātma was seen by following four fortunate persons:
- Mother Yashoda was shown brahmāṇḍa, during childhood days of Śrīkr̥ṣṇa in his mouth.
- Arjuna was shown Viśvarūpa, in kurukṣetra battle ground (Chapter 11 of Bhagavad Gītā).
- Sanjaya, the live commentator of Kurukṣetra battle, could see what Arjun was shown.
4. Vedavyāsa, the author of Mahabhārata could see what Arjuna was shown.
