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What role does self-effort play and what is the significance of Parabrahman鈥檚 grace to attain the ultimate spiritual goal? Or do both have equal weightage? These are some of the most discussed questions in the Indian Vedanta tradition. In the 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 tradition, both factors are necessary to attain liberation. Yet, each factor has a perfect proportion and essential role, which are elaborated in the 痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补. Firstly, 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 chides those who rely on their endeavors to achieve liberation while discounting the absolute need and power of Parabrahman.

Evoking the classical imagery of crossing the ocean of life and death, 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 explains:

鈥淎 person without such a resolute conviction of Parabrahman鈥檚 nature attempts to attain liberation using the strength of his own endeavors, but he does not strive for it by relying on the grace of Parabrahman. Such a senseless person is as stupid as someone wishing to cross the ocean by his own efforts without the aid of a ship. On the other hand, one who wishes for liberation through the grace of Parabrahman is wise, like one who wishes to cross the ocean by traveling in a ship.鈥� (痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 Gadhad膩 I/37, p.94) 233

On the other hand, 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 highlights personal endeavor or self-effort as well:

鈥淭herefore, the personal endeavor itself is the greatest of all spiritual endeavors for attaining liberation.鈥� (痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 Gadhad膩 II/12, p. 416).

Now we will elaborately analyze the roles that each factor plays in attaining liberation. In the 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 tradition, with the inspiration of the Guru, when the aspirant鈥檚 spiritual endeavor (蝉腻诲丑补苍腻) reaches its acme of performance, it sketches a quicker answer from Parabrahman and His ensuing grace. He sprinkles His grace, draws a seeker closer to Him, uplifts him to the height of perfection and blesses him with the place in His divine abode. Parabrahman is the beginning and Parabrahman is the end of all endeavors. He is both an indispensable and sufficient means to realize the highest goal.

Parabrahman鈥檚 grace motivates a seeker to tread the path of perfection, grants the necessary strength needed to perform spiritual endeavors, and provides inspiration in each stage. Bhadre艣ad膩sa cites:

day膩r峁嘺va岣� 办峁沺腻蝉腻诲丑测补岣� pras膩d膩t 蝉耻濒补产丑腻 办峁沺腻 |
brahmabh膩v膩t pras墨decca hyak峁�arapuru峁�ottama岣� || SSSK 366 ||

鈥淧arabrahman is an ocean of compassion and attainable through His grace. His grace is easily attainable through his favor. 笔耻谤耻峁�o迟迟补尘补, who is accompanied with 础办峁�a谤补, is pleased through 产谤补丑尘补产丑腻惫补.鈥�

To remind the power of Parabrahman鈥檚 grace, the 艢谤耻迟颈 reveals:^[1]

鈥�笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍 cannot be attained by instruction, nor by intellectual power, nor even through much hearing (i.e., learning). He is attained only by the one whom the 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍 chooses. To such a one, the 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍 reveals his own form.鈥� (Mundaka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/2/3, Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/23).

When elaborating on the term 鈥榗hooses鈥� (vrnute).

Bhadre艣ad膩sa explains: 鈥�测补峁� 尘耻尘耻办峁�u峁� v峁涐箛ute sv膩nugrahena sv墨karoti, yasmin prasanno bhavati iti 测腻惫补迟, tenaiva 辫补谤补尘腻迟尘腻nug峁沨墨tena 办峁沺腻p膩tre峁嘺 bhaktena e峁�a岣� 辫补谤补尘腻迟尘腻 labhya岣� s膩k峁Ｄ乼kartu峁� 艣补办测补岣� |鈥� (Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/23, pp.118-119)

鈥淥f the worshipper who is dedicated solely to Him (svaikanistha 耻辫腻蝉补办补). Only to such a vessel of Parabrahman鈥檚 grace (笔补谤腻尘腻迟尘补办蝉辫腻产丑腻箩补苍补) does he become realizable (labhya) and reveals himself.鈥�

Here, he describes Parabrahman as 鈥榓n ocean of great compassion (辫补谤腻尘补诲补测腻蝉腻驳补谤补) and a treasure of true love and grace (办峁沺腻nidhi).鈥� Bhadre艣ad膩sa adds at Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/23 that preachings, intellectual power, and scriptural learning represent all endeavors that can be performed in an attempt to reach Parabrahman. They alone are inadequate. Parabrahman, eventually remains 鈥�办峁沺腻 蝉腻诲丑测补鈥�, attainable by grace alone.^[2]

Bhadre艣ad膩sa is cautious, however, of not forcefully pitting human effort against divine grace.

In adding the word 鈥�kevala鈥� his comment above, he sheds light on that while all endeavors are adequate in realizing Parabrahman, they are insufficient alone.

鈥淭hey can still be effective in pleasing Parabrahman, who will then bequeath his liberating grace upon his beloved devotee. Convincingly, we can say that Parabrahman is pleased with the seeker鈥檚 devout, sincere and persistent effort or striving. Parabrahman Himself remains infinitely beyond the reach of those actions. So, Parabrahman鈥檚 grace is absolutely indispensable, useless either, even though they can only please Parabrahman and fulfill your endeavors through his grace.鈥�^[3]

So,

鈥�辫补谤补尘腻迟尘腻 na svata岣�kalpitas膩dhanas膩dhyopi tu tatk峁沺aika蝉腻诲丑测补 iti siddh膩ntitam鈥� (Mundaka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/2/3, p.293)

鈥淧arabrahman is not realized by self-imagined means but by only His grace. This is the principle.鈥�

It is noteworthy that if there are any efforts that Bhadre艣ad膩sa does dismiss as utterly pointless, they are the 鈥榮elf-imagined means鈥� (Svata岣�kalpita蝉腻诲丑补苍腻) of a person who does not follow the authoritative instructions enjoined in revealed texts or by the Guru. 235

These qualifications are indispensable because in the subsequent verse of the Mu峁囜笉aka Upani峁�ad:

鈥湵什拱�补尘腻迟尘补�� cannot be attained by one who is weak, nor by inadvertency, nor by austerities marked without authoritative endorsement.鈥�

It then concludes:

鈥淏ut the knower of 产谤补丑尘补惫颈诲测腻 who strives by these means [i.e., learning, austerities, etc.) attains this 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍 and enters Brahmadh膩ma. (Mundaka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/2/4) In consequence, when these same efforts -including those mentioned in Mundaka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/2/3 and all others are informed by correct philosophical knowledge, practiced according to the calling and guidance of the Guru and directed solely to pleasing Parabrahman, they can indeed play some useful part in fortifying liberation by Parabrahman鈥檚 grace.鈥� (Mundaka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/2/3)

In this fashion, Parabrahman showers his grace upon whomsoever He pleases. Thus, even if Parabrahman鈥檚 grace is available entirely and equally for everyone, like the rain that showers upon the earth, it is only those who are adequate 鈥榲essels鈥� who can receive that grace and make use of it. 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 elaborates on this in 痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 S膩rangpur 11.

When Mukt膩nanda 厂惫腻尘颈 asks,

鈥淧ersonal endeavor is declared in the scriptures, but how much is actually achieved by personal endeavor and how much is achieved by Parabrahman鈥檚 grace?鈥�

厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 remarkably describes a worthy recipient of Parabrahman鈥檚 grace.

Such a person, he illuminates, strictly observes 诲丑腻谤尘颈办补 disciplines such as:

鈥淣on-violence and eightfold brahmacarya, has an absolutely firm realization of him/herself as the 腻迟尘补苍, is firmly detached from worldly pleasures and has extreme and enduring devotional faith. These four aspects of 蝉腻诲丑补苍腻 correspond to what is traditionally termed within 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 texts as dharma (observance of scriptural injunctions), 箩帽腻苍补 (腻迟尘补苍-笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍 realization) (not to be confused with the broader, more philosophical knowledge of Brahman and Parabrahman), 惫补颈谤腻驳测补 (detachment) and bhakti (devotion). Cooperatively, they are called 鈥�贰办腻苍迟颈办补 Dharma鈥� or 鈥�Bh膩gavata Dharma鈥�, which we will learn further is one of the reasons for Parabrahman鈥檚 manifestation on earth,鈥�^[4]

And which features repeatedly in the 痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 and Sv膩m墨ni V膩to as a milieu for pleasing Parabrahman.^[5] In 痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 S膩rangpur 11, 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 is sure to add that all of these endeavors should be enjoined by the words of a true Guru and the scriptures, before concluding he says: 鈥淧arabrahman鈥檚 grace is only bestowed upon one who has such characteristics.鈥�(痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 S膩rangpur 11, p.228)

Possibly sensing the scale of the task of perfectly cultivating these characteristics, 狈颈迟测腻苍补苍诲补 厂惫腻尘颈 firstly acknowledges 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺鈥檚 theme but then instantly asks that what becomes of one who has some deficiency in cultivating these characteristics? 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 straightforwardly replies that then he does not attain ultimate liberation, i.e. Parabrahman鈥檚 础办峁�a谤补dh膩ma. Instead, he attains some other abode of Parabrahman.^[6] Here, 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 refers to the abodes of other 补惫补迟腻谤补蝉 and paradisiacal realms of the devas, which, in comparison to 础办峁�a谤补dh膩ma as good is extremely inferior.

After further elaboration, 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 concludes by reiterating his answer, this time with added force:

鈥淗ence, whether it takes one life or innumerable lives, only when one develops the previously described characteristics and becomes extremely free of worldly desires, does one become a worthy vessel of receiving Parabrahman鈥檚 grace, and only then will one attain ultimate liberation. Without it, one will definitely not attain it.鈥� (痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 S膩rangpur 11, p.228)

In this way, 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 candidly mentions that liberation is a result of Parabrahman鈥檚 grace only, and that spiritual endeavor is required to receive and apply that liberating grace. 叠丑补驳补惫补诲-骋墨迟腻 echoes:

鈥�惫颈诲丑别测腻迟尘腻 惫颈诲丑别测补岣� 艣腻蝉迟谤补驳耻谤惫腻诲别艣补惫补谤迟墨 腻迟尘腻 测补蝉测腻蝉惫补肠肠丑补苍诲腻肠腻谤补岣� 辫谤补蝉腻诲补峁� guruharyanugraham adhigacchati pr膩pnoti鈥� (Bhagavad-骋墨迟腻 2/64, p.64)

鈥淎 devotee who treads the path of righteousness shown by the scriptures and the Guru will attain the grace of Parabrahman and the Guru.鈥�

Moreover, the very next verse of the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲-骋墨迟腻 declares the benefit of this grace:

鈥淎ll the miseries and problems of that devotee are eliminated and he can engross freely in the form of Parabrahman.鈥�^[7]

In this manner, the 叠丑补驳补惫补诲-骋墨迟腻 invariably demonstrates the micro role of both factors.^[8] The 叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补 also highlights this fact.^[9]

Now, we can figure a connection between the grace and the efforts by this example:

鈥�param膩tmak峁沺ayaiva tadup膩kasya sv膩bh墨psitasakalas膩dhanodyogasa峁僢hav膩ttad峁泃e keval膩n膩峁� 蝉腻诲丑补苍腻n膩maki帽citkaratv膩t sacch膩strapratip膩ditatadalaukikam膩h膩tmy膩nusandh膩nalak峁�anastadabhisa峁僢andha岣� sarvatra s膩dhane峁�u niyamena upasa峁僪膩rya iti 产丑腻惫补岣�鈥� (叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补 3/3/55, p.351)

鈥淥nly by the immense grace of Parabrahman, an aspirant can accomplish his spiritual endeavors, without Him, all the spiritual efforts are worthless, so one must add the 产谤补丑尘补产丑腻惫补 in his spiritual efforts in order to make them fruitful, which are asserted in the scriptures.鈥�

At this stage, an important question is rising: in which form Parabrahman exhibits this grace? Bhadre艣ad膩sa replies while commentating on Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/23, the same verse found in Mundaka-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 3/2/3 cited above.

The answer of this question can be given on the basis of the 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 叠丑腻峁�y补 that the form of 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍鈥檚 grace is like by seeing his devotee sincerely endeavoring by several means to please him,

鈥淧arabrahman, the ocean of grace that He is, gifts that devotee access to the profound association of the 础办峁�a谤补brahman Guru鈥搘ho is his 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍鈥檚 supreme worshipper, who has the greatest affection for Him, who eternally has a complete and perfect realization of Him, and who can be regarded as His own form鈥攕o that his devotee can easily realize him 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍.鈥�

Then, by listening, reflecting, etc. upon the Guru鈥檚 teachings, and serving him with the belief that he is the very form of Parabrahman鈥攁s directed by such statements as:

鈥淲o has the highest devotion to Parabrahman and, as he does to Parabrahman, also to the Guru (Svet膩艣vatara-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 6/23),鈥� etc.鈥�

That devotee, having developed oneness with his self and Brahman and having received the grace of Parabrahman, realizes 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍. (Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/23) In this way, the 厂惫腻尘颈苍腻谤腻测补峁嘺 School explicitly deciphers the role of Parabrahman鈥檚 grace and personal endeavors.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Here, 腻迟尘补苍 term is used for 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘补苍a

[2]:

Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/23, p.119

[3]:

Katha-耻辫补苍颈峁�a诲 2/24, p.120

[4]:

痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 Gadhad膩 II/46, Gadh. 3/21

[5]:

痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 Gadhad膩 I/21, Sv膩m墨n墨 V膩to 3/25

[6]:

痴补肠补苍腻尘峁泃补 S膩rangpur 11

[7]:

叠丑补驳补惫补诲-骋墨迟腻 2/65; p.64

[8]:

叠丑补驳补惫补诲-骋墨迟腻 18/56,58,62,73,75

[9]:

鈥�pratyak峁�abrahmasvar奴pagurud峁涐笉hatamaprasa峁僩opade艣膩bhirbrahm膩tmaik测补峁� 蝉补峁僷腻诲测补 pratyak峁�aparam膩tmasam膩r膩dh膩na lak峁�a峁嘺bhakt膩vanu峁ａ弓it膩y膩峁� tasyaiv膩nugrahatasdivyasvar奴pa峁� s膩k峁Ｄ乼kriyate鈥� (叠谤补丑尘补蝉奴迟谤补 3/2/23, p.300)