World's Most Miserable Person

By the amazing process of self-discovery or self-realization even the most miserable person in the world can become the most blissful, ecstatic person. This amazing transition can easily be accomplished simply if one taps into his original identity. The miseries of material existence are an artificial imposition on the suffering soul due only to his misidentification with the material body. All one has to do to revise his original, blissful nature is to engage regularly in the activities that are normal for the self in its liberated position, especially hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. In this way by gradually re-orienting his consciousness to it natural, original state, the most miserable person will in due course of time emerge as the most ecstatic person in the entire universe.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Teaching the Self-Realization Science in Vrindavan
26 September 2010

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Why Astanga Yoga is in Gita, Chapter 6?

Dear Acharyaji,
Namaste

Why do you say that the astanga yoga of the sage Patanjali is meant for less intelligent persons who have no better knowledge? On the contrary it is meant for intelligent people. The astanga yoga is one of six darshans in the Vedic system of life. Chapter 6 of Bhagavad-gita is nothing but the essence of astanga yoga, the ultimate aim of which is to reach kaivalya, chit shakti or swarup pratishta or the awakening of ones' original Krishna consciousness, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. May I request you to please let all sadhakas know the reason for inclusion of chapter six in the Bhagavad-gita?

With my obeisances,
Janardan Mali

Answer: To Show That Bhakti is Higher

Thank you very much for seeking clarification of your doubt. Your request is a sign of your intelligence.

Regarding intelligence--there is intelligent, more intelligent, and most intelligent. While of course, we accept that anyone who takes to the self-realization path is intelligent, at the same time we see that those who adopt a pathway which can bring perfection in one lifetime are more intelligent than those who adopt a pathway which takes many lifetimes.

If you will carefully examine chapter six of the Bhagavad-gita you will see in the final verse that Lord Krishna states that out of all yogis, the one who takes to the path of bhakti is on the highest platform. So the eightfold yogic path is meant for those who are not able to come to the highest platform of bhakti. Chapter six is included in the Bhagavad-gita by Lord Sri Krishna for comparing the astanga, eightfold yoga system with bhakti yoga to show that bhakti yoga is better. The proof is that the prime recipient of the Bhagavad-gita, Sri Arjuna, did not execute the eightfold yoga path. He instead demonstrated the perfect example of bhakti yoga by fully surrendering to the instructions of Lord Sri Krishna.

So it is not my words. It is Lord Sri Krishna Himself who is stating that bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion, surpasses the eightfold system. And we see in history that the great stalwart yogi, Visvamrita, who achieved samadhi, the highest platform of the eightfold path, immediately fell victim to sex desire when tempted by the heavenly damsel, Menaka. And we also see that the great devotee Haridas Thakur even without executing the eightfold path was able to withstand the repeated advances of a beautiful naked young woman in the dead of night in a solitary place because of his complete absorption in chanting the holy names of God in mood of love and devotion. In conclusion, it is confirmed in chapter six of the Bhagavad-gita and in historical example that the path of devotion is superior to the eightfold yoga system. This is why we can make a clear distinction between these two paths..

Sankarshan Das Adhikari