श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: |
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति || 39||
śhraddhāvānllabhate jñānaṁ tat-paraḥ sanyatendriyaḥ
jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śhāntim achireṇādhigachchhati
śhraddhāvān—a faithful person; labhate—achieves; jñānam—divine knowledge; tat-paraḥ—devoted (to that); sanyata—controlled; indriyaḥ—senses; jñānam—transcendental knowledge; labdhvā—having achieved; parām—supreme; śhāntim—peace; achireṇa—without delay; adhigachchhati—attains
Translation:
The man of faith, having Knowledge as his supreme goal having controlled the senses, obtains knowledge of Atma, and having obtained that enjoys everlasting peace.
Commentary:
Three qualities are mentioned here for gaining Knowledge.
(1) The man of faith: Faith is the seed of success even in worldly matters. The degree of faith in the Sastras and the teaching of the Guru, determine the degree of success. The greater the faith the sooner the success. The seeker should do the prescribed Sadhana with deep faith and it would surely lead him to spiritual illumination. Doubt will not bear any fruit what-so-ever. Doubt is the very negation of faith and want of faith results in utter failure. That is why the Lord insists on faith as an indispensable condition for the aspirant. The sick man should have faith in the physician and the medicine prescribed by him. Otherwise, the efficacy of the medicine is neutralised by the negative attitude of the patient. As the Sadhaka practises the discipline sincerely at first, he would gain some simple spiritual experience, which would confirm his faith in the higher laws of spirituality. It should be understood that Faith is not a denial of one’s reason and judgment. What is implied is that the seeker should carry out the instructions of the Sastras and the Gure in the full hope that they would yield the best results. And when he knows by experience the value of faith, his progress becomes quicker and smoother. So one should have faith in his spiritual destiny.
(2) Having Knowledge as the supreme goal: The aspirant should have single-minded devotion to the spiritual ideal. There should not be any discordant note in the general harmony of word, thought and deed. One may talk of spirituality and yet his thoughts may be plunged in gross worldliness, and his deeds may be utterly sensual. Such a split personality cannot make any progress in any direction. Divided aims and distracted minds achieve nothing. The personality of man, complete and entire, should be dedicated to the spiritual aim. He should fully realise within himself that there is no other goal to strive for. Naturally, by discrimination, when it is known that all other things are painful perishable worthless stuff, the spiritual aim alone shines as a perfect star. Then Self-realisation becomes possible.
(3) Of controlled senses: Faith and single-minded devotion to the divine aim should be accompanied with systematic practice of sense-restraint. Faith and aspiration may do much, but for perfection in Jnana, the senses should be brought under control. So long as the mind runs after material objects through the channels of the senses, wisdom cannot be found. The attempt is to turn the mind inwards. The sense-organs by their very nature function by attaching themselves to some physical object or other. The mind is linked to the senses, and so the mind runs out. This link should be cut, and the mind should be trained to look inward. Then the senses can do nothing. They remain powerless in their places. So sense-control is prescribed as the third characteristic of the man of Knowledge.
What is the fruit of this Knowledge? Peace, Supreme Peace (Param santim adhigacchati). Swiftly the wise man attains peace. Everyone is seeking peace and happiness. But it is eluding him. He seeks it in worldly pleasures and possessions. But he does not find it in them. So he is restless and distracted. Where is that peace? The Lord answers the question. Peace is in the Knowledge of Atma, and nowhere else. Every little satisfaction which one desires from small pleasures and successes here and there in the world are only shadows of the real peace of the Self. So let all people go to the very source of Peace – Atma. Having thus described the excellence of Jnana, the Lord concludes that it leads to Supreme Peace.
Question: Who can attain Jnana?
Answer: The man of faith, devotion, and self-control attains Knowledge.
Question: What is the fruit of Jnana?
Answer: Peace.
Question: What is the way to peace?
Answer: Atma Jnana.
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