Which Karm Are Good

Naarad Jee said - "Bhagavan, One gets this body because of Karm. This Jeev, born on Prithvi, is bound to Kaamanaa (desires and wishes). He becomes greedy because of Kaam (desires), greed makes him angry, and anger destroys Dharm, as Dharm is destroyed Buddhi (mind) also get disoriented, and whose Buddhi gets disoriented, he starts committing sins; therefore this body is the root of all sins and the same indulges in Paap. Please tell me the way so that this Jeev can leave the attachment with this body and attain Moksh. Which Karm are helpful for Yogee to make their Yog successful?"

Sanak Jee said - "Hey Naarad Jee, Learned people say that Moksh can be attained only by Gyaan (knowledge). The root of this Gyaan is Bhakti, and Bhakti is developed by doing those Karm which are for Bhagavaan. If somebody has even a little Bhakti, he follows Dharm. Great Shraddhaa destroys all Paap. When all Paap are destroyed, Buddhi becomes clear, and this clear Buddhi is called Gyaan by learned people. This Gyaan is the giver of Moksh. Yogee have this kind of Gyaan.

Yog is of two types - Karm Yog and Gyaan Yog. Without Karm Yog, Gyaan Yog doesn't become complete, therefore one should always worship Hari doing Karm. Keshav has eight forms - Braahman, land, Agni (fire), Soorya (Sun), water, metal, heart and picture. Thus by action, heart and speech one should worship Bhagavaan. Ahinsaa (nonviolence), Satya (Truth), lack of anger, Brahmcharya, A-Parigraha, lack of jealousy, and kindness - these qualities are essential for both Yog. This whole world is the form of Vishnu, thinking thus one should practice both Yog. Who consider all Jeev like their own, only they know Vishnu's real form. Who seek fault in others and then do worship, or Tapasyaa, or meditation, they just waste their time.

Who does good to the whole world, and worships Vishnu by heart, action and speech, and prays Him by Stotra etc, he is called Karm Yogee. Worshiping Vishnu through fasts, hearing Puraan, and offering flowers etc is called Kriyaa Yog. In this way who follow Kriyaa Yog and do Bhakti in Vishnu, their all Paap are destroyed. Whose Paap are destroyed, his Buddhi becomes clear, and whose Buddhi is clear, only he desires for Gyaan.

Now I tell you the way to obtain Gyaan. One should be in the company of learned people and with their help he should know what is mortal and what is immortal. World's all things are mortal, only Hari is immortal, therefore one should abandon all of them and meditate upon Hari. He should detach himself from all pleasures, who doesn't do so, he is bound to world. Aatmaa (soul) is said to be of two types - Par and A-Par. Atharv Ved's Shruti also says that there are two Brahm who are worth to know - Par Aatmaa or Par Brahm has been told as Nir-Gun (attributeless); and A-Par Aatmaa or A-Par Brahm has been told Jeev who is with Ahankaar. The knowledge of their alikeness is called Gyaan Yog.

Whoever lives in our Panch Bhautik (made of five elements) body as witness, he is known as A-Par Aatmaa and Paramaatmaa is said to be Par (higher) [that is why He is called Param+Aatmaa, means higher than Aatmaa]. This body is said as Kshetra, the Aatmaa who lives in this Kshetra is called Kshetragya. When one knows that Jeev Aatmaa and Parmaatmaa are the same then this bondage to A-Par Aatmaa (Jeev) is destroyed. Nir-Gun Paramaatmaa has no attribute - color, or form, and no Karm to do. There is nothing different from Him. If somebody wants to attain Mukti, he should attain the knowledge about Him only.

Yog

Who don't have this knowledge (they are A-Gyaanee), they see this world in various forms, but who have this knowledge they see Brahm all around. This word "A-Gyaan", represents Maayaa, therefore who conquer Maayaa their A-Gyaan (ignorance) is destroyed. A Yogee destroys his A-Gyaan through Yog. Yog is completed through its eight parts. They are - Yam, Niyam, Aasan, Praanaayaam, Pratyaahaar, Dhaaranaa, Dhyaan, and Samaadhi. Now I tell you their characteristics.

(1) Yam - Ahinsaa (non-violence), Satya (truth), A-Steya, Brahmcharya (abstinence), A-Parigraha (not collecting anything), A-Krodh (not being angry), and An-Sooyaa (not feeling jealous with others' progress) - are the characteristics of Yam. Not to pain anybody in any way is called A-Hinsaa. Whatever truth is spoken taking Dharm and A-Dharm into consideration, is called Satya (truth). Stealing or taking anybody's wealth forcefully is called "Steya". Opposite to this is called Asteya. Abstinence is known as Brahmcharya. Not to collect anything even for emergency is said as A-Parigraha. Who speaks harshly showing his highness to others, the same cruel behavior is called Krodh (anger). The opposite of Krodh is A-Krodh - means showing politeness to everybody. When one feels jealous seeing others' progress in anything, it is called Asooyaa; and not feeling Asooyaa is called An-Sooyaa. All these are called Yam.

(2) Niyam - Now you listen to about Niyam. Tap (penance), Swaadhyaaya (self-study), Santosh (contentment), Shauch (cleanliness), Vishnu's worship, and doing Sandhyaa etc are called Niyam. In which one weakens his body by doing Chaandraayan etc Vrat (fasts), it is also called Tap. This is a good means of Yog. Jap, study, and thinking about Omkaar, Upanishad, 12-letter Mantra, 8-letter Mantra, or Tattwamasi etc is called Swaadhyaaya. This is also a good means of Yog. Whoever fool abandons this Swaadhyaaya his Yog doesn't get completed, on the contrary, even without Yog, a man's sins are destroyed only by self-study. Self-study pleases Isht Devtaa. Jap is said to be of three types - Vaachik, Upaanshu and Maanas - the last one is the best. When a Mantra is pronounced methodically and clearly, it is called Vaachik Jap. It gives the fruit of all Yagya. When a Mantra is pronounced in a lower voice separated one word from another, is called Upaanshu Jap. This is twice the more beneficial than the first one. When a Mantra is pronounced in heart thinking about the words and their meanings, it is called Maanas Jap. This Jap completes the Yog. Who pray their Isht Devtaa by Jap, their Isht Devtaa are always pleased with them. That is why who is busy in Swaadhyaaya he can fulfill his all wishes.

Being contented with whatever is available is called Santosh (contentment). A discontented man is never happy anywhere. Shauch (cleanliness) is of two types - external and internal. Cleaning the body from outside is called external cleaning and purifying ones thought and mind is called internal cleaning. Who are internally clean and they do Yagya, those Yagya are useless. Whose heart and mind are clean and if they behave according to Dharm, then its result is immortal and makes one happy. When a man develops strong Bhakti by doing constant Poojaa; by prayer by heart, speech and action; and by hearing His stories, the same is being told as Vishnu's Poojaa. Sandhyaa is also to be done at both times.

Thus I told you about Yam and Niyam, if somebody's heart and mind has become clean by these processes is considered to attain Moksh, so one should practice Aasan (pose or posture) after stabilizing one's mind by Yam and Niyam.

(3) Aasan - Aasan means the position in which a man sits - (1) Padm Aasan, (2) Swastik Aasan, (3) Peeth Aasan, (4) Sinh Aasan, (5) Kukkut Aasan, (6) Kunjar Aasan, (7) Koorm Aasan, (8) Vajra Aasan, (9) Varaah Aasan, (10) Mrig Aasan, (11) Chailik Aasan, (12) Kraunch Aasan, (13) Naalik Aasan, (14) Sarvatobhadra Aasan, (15) Vrishabh Aasan, (16) Naag Aasan, (17) Matsya Aasan, (18) Vyaaghra Aasan, (19) Ardhchandra Aasan, (20) Dandvaat Aasan, (21) Shail Aasan, (22) Khang Aasan, (23) Mudgar Aasan, (24) Makar Aasan, (25) Tripath Aasan, (26) Kaashth Aasan, (27) Sthaanu Aasan, (28) Vaikarnik Aasan, (29) Bhaum Aasan, and (30) Veer Aasan - all these 30 Aasan are good to do Yog. A Saadhak should use any one of these Aasan and practice Praanaayaam.

(4) Praanaayaam - Where there is no crowd, nor there is any noise, one should practice Praanaayaam in such a place. Whatever air is inside our body that is called Praan; and to control this Praan is called Aayaam. There are two types of Praanaayaam - A-Garbh and Sa-Garbh. The latter one is better. Whatever Praanaayaam is done without Jap and meditation that is called A-Garbh; and whatever Praanaayaam is done with Jap and meditation, that is called Sa-Garbh. These two types of Praanaayaam are also of four types - Rechak, Poorak, Kumbhak, and Shoonyak.

Jeev's right nerve is called Pingalaa whose Devtaa is Soorya. This is called Pitri Yoni. In the same way the Jeev's left nerve is called Idaa whose Devtaa is Chandra Dev. This is called Dev Yoni also. And in the middle of these there is Sushumnaa nerve. This is very subtle and very hidden. Its Devtaa is Brahmaa Jee. One should exhale air from his left nostril, and inhale from right nostril. Exhaling process is called Rechak, and inhaling process is called Poorak. When one fills the air in his body and doesn't release it, sits like a filled pitcher, it is called Kumbhak. When the air is neither inhaled, nor it is exhaled and one sits just like that, it is called Shoonyak. One should control this Praan gradually otherwise serious diseases can attack.

5) Pratyaahaar - To control one's Indriyaan (senses) from all pleasures of the world is called Pratyaahaar. Who meditates without controlling his Indriyaan, his meditation is useless.

(6) Dhaaranaa - A man sees whatever things, understand it as his own soul; and keep his controlled Indriyaan in his soul is called Dhaaranaa. Control one's Indriyaan through Pratyaahaar and keep them in his soul and then meditate on Hari imagining His beautiful image.

(7) Dhyaan - When one's mind and heart become one with the image he is meditating upon, is called Dhyaan. Even one hour Dhyaan is enough to attain Moksh. Dhyaan destroys sins, Dhyaan pleases Vishnu and Dhyaan fulfills all wishes. Any image of Vishnu could be used for meditation.

(8) Samaadhi - When one meditates, gradually one becomes one with the image he is meditating upon. This stage, of becoming one with the image, and becoming stable, filled with joy is called Samaadhi. Hey Naarad Jee, A Yogee neither sees, nor smells, nor  touches, nor speaks anything. In that state, he sees only attributeless, pure, clear Aatmaa. Paramaatmaa is the subtlest of the subtlest and the greatest of the greatest. Existed from Akaar to Hakaar (from A to H - Hindi alphabet), in every letter in different forms, He is said Shabd Brahm.

Now I tell you about another type of Dhyaan. Bhagavaan exists in Pranav (Aum). One should imagine Him like this. In Aum (see its image), Akaar is the form of Brahmaa Jee, Ukaar is Vishnu's form and Makaar is Rudra's form, and the mark above it represents Paramaatmaa. Who do Jap of Pranav (Aum) they become free from all kinds of sins.