What happens to one who fails to follow God's path?
0 comments Posted by RisingCitizen at Tuesday, December 07, 2010One thing common to both KARMA and SANKHYA is the control of senses and mind. After talking about the 3 paths - Bhakti, Karma, Sankhya - Arjuna asks the following question -
"What becomes of the soul who, though endowed with faith, has not been able to subdue his passions, and whose mind is therefore diverted from Yoga (at the time of death) and who fails to reach perfection in yoga (God-realization)? (Chap 6 - verse 37)
"Krishna, strayed from the path leading to God-realization and without anything to stand upon, is he not lost like the torn cloud, deprived of both God-Realization and heavenly enjoyment?"
(Chap 6- verse 38)
"Krishna, please slash this doubt of mine completely for none other than You can be found, who can clear this doubt."
(Chap 6 - verse 39)
Krishna answers:
"O Arjuna, there is no fall for him either here or hereafter. For none who strives for self-redemption (i.e God realization) ever meets with evil destiny."
(Chap 6 -verse 40)
"He who has fallen from Yoga, obtains the higher worlds (heaven) to which men of meritorious deeds alone are entitled, and having resided here for countless years, takes birth in the house of PIOUS and WEALTHY MEN."
(Chap 6 -verse 41)
"Or [ if unsuccessful after long practice of yoga] he takes his birth in a family of ENLIGHTENED YOGI's. Certainly, such a birth is rare in this world."
(Chap 6 -verse 42)
"Arjuna, he automatically regains in that birth the spiritual insight of his previous birth; and through that he strives, harder than ever, for perfection in the form of God-Realization."
(Chap 6 -verse 43)
"By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attracted to yogic principles - even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures."
(Chap 6 -verse 44)