Bhakti or devotion is often compared with Jnana or
knowledge. The two paths have little in common, except perhaps their ultimate
goal. The two paths converge only at their end. Looking at it from another
perspective, one could say that the two paths are like two views of the same
path rather than two different paths that converge.
If the fruit of Bhakti is Jnana, Jnana intensifies
Bhakti. They are both as inseparable as two sides of a coin. Jnana is the path
that appeals to the logical part of the brain. For that to happen, the
emotional part of the brain has to be rekindled through Bhakti. While Bhakti
turns the positive part of the mind outward to achieve union with the Supreme,
Jnana turns the negative part of mind inward to achieve the same. If one looks
at the experiences along the spiritual path and realises them in either Bhakti
or Jnana terms, he would find the same Truth. With a silent prayer as in Bhakti
or by the practice of negation in Jnana, one becomes simple and surrenders all
attachments to forms in order to get closer to the formless. The easiest way to
start is with Bhakti or surrendering to the Supreme and acquire Jnana. Bhakti
is the mother of Jnana.
A Bhakta’s longing ends at achievement of Divine
love whereas a Jnani’s longing starts as a simple means of enquiry on Truth.
The Self of both is emptied as attachments are surrendered to the love of the
transcendent and the Truth of eternality. Bhakta uses nama japam to help turn
attention away from the world, while a Jnani contemplates on teachings obtained
from his Guru to do the same. Both then cultivate awareness of the Truth.
The Bhakta will find God in all the forms he sees
while the Jnani justifies emptiness, which is the same thing said in different
ways. Bhakta enters the Supreme through self-surrender, while a Jnani expands
and become one with Him through Self-enquiry. A Bhakta shuns doer-ship while a Jnani
shuns both doer-ship and enjoyer-ship.
“There is nothing as pure as the knowledge”, says
Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 4, verse 38). The knowledge Krishna
refers to is both spiritual as well as material science. The ignorance to
recognise our true nature and origin has made us fall into the whirlpool of
samsara. By Jnana one can overcome ignorance and attain salvation for which Bhakti
is necessary.
Some argue that Bhaktas can never be Jnanis, but it
is not true. It so happened that Mirabai decided to meet a spiritual guru at
Brindavan. He was a brahmachari and kept away from womenfolk. On knowing that
Mirabai was at the ashram he asked his pupil to ask her to leave as she was a
woman. When Mirabai learnt about it she asked: “I know there is only one
Purusha (man) in this universe; that is my Nandalala and the rest are His
gopis...” The spiritual guru came out of the ashram and touched the feet of
Mirabai. Here, a mere devotee revealed the truth of Sankhya yoga to a Jnani.
Another Bhakta and Jnani was Kanakadasa who, when he was given a fruit and
asked to eat it without anyone knowing about it, could not do so as he found Him
in all forms and knew he could not escape Him.
