THE HOLY YOGA, CHAPTER NUMBER 06, DHYANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF MEDITATION, VERSE NUMBER 31

THE HOLY YOGA

CHAPTER NUMBER 06

DHYANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF MEDITATION:

VERSE NUMBER 31

Text in Transliteration:

Sarvabhoota sthitam yo maam bhajaty ekatvam aasthitah

Sarvathaa var tamaano ‘pi say ogee mayi vartate

Text in English:

He who, established in oneness, worships Me abiding in all beings, that yogi lives in Me, whatever may be his mode of living.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

A person discharged from prison is conscious that he is no more a prisoner, be he shut up in a room, enchained, handcuffed or tethered. Not the external setting but the attitude of the man is the main factor here. The knower of Brahman is conscious that Brahman alone is putting on the appearance of the many in the universe. Because of the Brahmaavastha in which he is established, his contact with beings is nothing shor of the adoration of Brahman. His external behaviour may indicate that he is meditating, attending to the obligatory duties, or, taking rest. But subjectively he is fixed in Brahman. This is the state of liberation from all bondage. This state is technically known as Sahaja nishtha.

SRI RAMAKRISHNA AS QUOTED BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

The ignorant one believes that God is in some far off region called heaven. The enlightened one, on the other hand, beholds Him as the core of his own being. Iswara is in the hearts of all. The seeker of God therefore realizes Him first within himself.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN

Whatever be his outer life, in his inward being he dwells in God. The true life of a man is his inner life.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SIDBHAVANANDA:

He who has dissolved all duality in the underlying unity, who is thus established in unity, who worships me, i.e., who has realised Me as the Self of all, dwells always in Me, whatever his mode of living may be. He is ever liberated.

Sadana lived in God though he was a butcher because his mind was ever fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord.

Comments by the blogger:

Sri Krishna tells elsewhere that people from all sides come to him. The meaning of that sentence is that devout persons belonging to all sorts works as ways of life come to the path of the Lord. And he accepts all of them providing they are qualified as accomplished yogis.

As the lore goes, in the forest there was a Practitioner of yoga who reduced a crane to ashes when it dirtied him with its droppings from atop a tree by just looking at it. Such was his yogic power. But he was yet to attain the final stage. Then the yogi went into a nearby village and stood before a house to get alms. The housewife took her time in giving the alms. The yogi stared at her in anger. Nothing happened to her. She just smiled and asked the yogi if he took her for the crane! At this, the yogi was devastated and asked her how what happened in the deep forest knew to her. She said that she had attained such feet by dutifully serving her husband. She also said that when the yogi came to her doorsteps she had been ministering to her husband. At this, the yogi fully agreed she was an accomplished yogi and wished to become a student of her.

At this, the housewife directed to a butcher, by name, Sadana as mentioned by Swami Sivananda. When the yogi went to see Sadana he found Sadana to be a butcher! His marvel and wonder had no end. He openly asked the butcher as to the secret of his having become a Saint in spite of his sinful calling. Sadana replied that though he was a butcher by his calling his devotion to the Lord found no limitation. Since he was born and brought up in a butchers house he carried on the job for a living, but his mind was filled with God! So he could realise Him.