190811 - IMPORTANCE OF GNANA/JNANA (Knowledge)

Sri Ganesh Mandir - Serene Sunday Reflections

श्री  गणेश  मंदिर   -  शिक्षा वाणी :: 11^th August 2019 

IMPORTANCE OF GNANA/JNANA (Knowledge)

KEYWORDS :: Veda, Knowledge, Jnana, Bliss, Gnana, Marga, Yogam, Logic, Devotion, Action

Last week we reflected on Prayers leading to Devotion, Bhakti Yogam. To attain the blessings of God, Hindu philosophy prescribes three paths, Bhakti (devotion), Karma (action), and Gnana / Jnana (wisdom). We shall now discuss on Importance of Jnana.

When one speaks of Hinduism, the first and foremost word that gets associated is Veda which means knowledge (Jnana). All the associated scriptures on Veda, Upa-Veda, Vedangas, Bhrahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishads,  Ithihasa, etc and millions of Commentaries and Interpretations on all these are aiming at leading us through Jnana Margam (the spiritual path that emphasizes Knowledge) for self-realization in search of the answer to the question who am I.

In earlier reflections on purusharthas and moksha (https://www.hssicolumbus.org/serene-sunday-reflections) we learned that dharma is utmost important. Realizing this dharma is the path, one has to know, this knowing is what is prescribed through the ithihasa purushas (members introduced in the texts like Ramayana and Mahabharata).

Even in Bhagavad Gita Krishna took the confused and sad Arjuna from the Vishadha Yogam (1^st chapter) through the Karma and Bhakti Yogam and finally through Jnana Yogam to the Moksha Sanyasa Yogam (18^th chapter).

Bhagavad Gita which is the essence of Upanishads logically takes us to the devotional karma applying knowledge. Hindu scriptures clearly say “युक्तियुक्तं वचो ग्राह्यं बालादपि शुकादपि ।
अयुक्तमपि न ग्राह्यं साक्षादपि बृहस्पतेः ॥”

(yuktiyuktaṃ vaco grāhyaṃ bālādapi

śukādapi, ayuktamapi na grāhyaṃ sākṣādapi bṛhaspateḥ)

Anyone speaking with logic should be recognized, even let it be a child or a parrot. Illogical words should not be taken, even if it is coming from Brihaspati - God’s Guru.

Thus, knowledge is that which makes one able to get to the discriminative, logical, analytical, creative, balanced thinking in understanding the practical life. Jnana marga is to travel through the righteous and true path tested over time and space being in the real world. Even the supreme being (God) has examples to show what is dharma (to be followed) and adharma (not to be followed). For example, adhering to dharma was of priority for them before any relations (Ramayana and Mahabharata are the classic examples). Thus, one can get to God through devotion for a larger cause with detached attachment and attached detachment and by being in the present.

Here we have reflected on Gnana as the base for Hindu philosophy. Next week we shall reflect on Karma path according to the Hinduism.

----- Next Week 18^th August 2019 - Importance of Karma ------

More from DrTPS  at (www.drtps-shiksha.in /  https://rare-news-collection.blogspot.com/)