Patanjali Yoga Sutra — tataḥ pratyakcetanādhigamo’pyantarāyābhāvaśca|| 1.29||ततः प्रत्यक्चेतनाधिगमोऽप्यन्तरायाभावश्च||
Repetition of Praṇava or AUM helps the sādhaka to overcome all the obstacles and leads him to get knowledge of the Ātman (gets absorbed in Paramātma).
The supreme bhakti (devotion) grows in three phases:
- Ēka rūpa bhakti: The sādhaka initially finds the divinity in only one form and nothing else is divine for him. Only on seeing that particular form which he believes as divine is worthy of worship for him.
- Aneka rūpa bhakti: As the sādhaka grows and matures, he starts finding divinity in all forms. In every form there is nothing but divinity for him (Bhagavad Gītā chapter 10).
- Arūpa bhakti: Further growth leads him to worship even the formless. That kind of pūjā may be termed as ‘Nirguṇa pūjā’. At this stage, there is nothing but divinity everywhere for such a divinity.
Such a sādhaka abandons the hankering for mundane delight and ceases to be attached to the sensory pleasure. It is definitely an indication of sādhaka’s spiritual or yogic upliftment and is said to be the Royal gateway to communion with the Supreme Soul.
Bhagavān describes the profound benefits of such a sādhana as follows:
युञ्जन्नेवं सदात्मानं योगी नियतमानसः।
शान्तिं निर्वाणपरमा मत्संस्थामधिगच्छति ॥गीता ६.१५॥
yuñjannevaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī niyatamānasaḥ|
śāntiṁ nirvāṇaparamā matsaṁsthāmadhigacchati ||Gītā 6.15||
Sādhaka, restraining outward tendency of mind, (called śama in the words of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya), would ever experience the unity with the Supreme Soul (Who is AUM). Such a Yogi accomplishes the highest, blissful serenity in Me.
Both Sun and sunlight are lustrous and hence are not different at all. Sun is always the cause and sunlight is the effect and thus they co-exist. Despite this identity, they are viewed differently. This is the way to understand the association of Paramātma and Jīvātma. The path leading to such an understanding itself is Yogasādhana. In that pinnacle, there is no difference between Paramātma and Jīvātma.
Rukmiṇi asked Śrīkṛṣṇa, ‘Lord, I have not seen Rādhā, your favorite devotee. Can you please draw her portrait?’ Lord agreed and drew a portrait. Rukmiṇi was astonished and said, ‘Lord, this is your portrait, I said, you draw the portrait of Rādhā’. Lord once again drew a portrait, but it was again Lord Śrīkṛṣṇa’s only! This happened several times and every time, Lord brought His own picture. Yes, there is no difference between the Lord and his devotees.
