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Namah Vol. 31, Issue 3, 15th October 2023

Coming back to the three main elements and Karnna are. Yet the crown of victory and
or consenting parties, as Sri Aurobindo the wisdom of the Gıitaa are given to Arjuna.
puts it: Though he too is among the best, yet he
has something in him that is missing in the
“In practice three conceptions are necessary others. Others are fighting for the kingdom
before there can be any possibility of Yoga; of their promise or driven by ambition to be
there must be, as it were, three consenting proven the best. But what makes Arjuna
parties to the effort, — God, Nature and the special is that initially he wants to fight
human soul or, in more abstract language, only for the highest Ideal and when that
the Transcendental, the Universal and the failed him through the insufficiency of
Individual. If the individual and Nature are light, he fights in obedience to Krrssnna and
left to themselves, the one is bound to the his trust in the Divine leading. Most modern
other and unable to exceed appreciably her movements of yoga miss upon this crucial
lingering march. Something transcendent is element even as they miss upon the adhikaara
needed, free from her and greater, which bheda. Moved often with a will to enrol and
will act upon us and her, attracting us increase disciples, a spiritual ambition so to
upward to Itself and securing from her by say, they forget that not all are ready for the
good grace or by force her consent to the spiritual life. Of course, fundamentally none
individual ascension (5).” is debarred from the Yoga yet it is equally
true that not all are ready for the yoga. It
The seeker is defined by the intensity and is not a judgment for life but a truth of the
sincerity of his or her aspiration. That moment. One who is not ready today can
which is sought for the union, the Divine become ready tomorrow, in fact will become
Source or Origin, is limited by our own ready someday. But to push someone into
conceptions. What stands between the two Yoga when the soul is not yet ripe is neither
is the whole field of Nature with a world good for the person nor for the movement.
of forces that help or hinder, assist or resist
the journey. The seeker is not defined by the It is this knowledge of the adhikaara bheda
technique, though a faithful pursuance of (readiness for the path) that prompted the
a given method or technique does indicate Vedic RRssis to write in cryptic language. It is
the sincerity of effort in his pursuit. But it also for this reason that there is no concept
does not indicate the purpose of his pursuit, of outer or forced conversion in Hindu
the goal he has put before himself, the aim thought. True conversion must happen as
of his efforts. That goal, that aim and the a natural need. But wherever it is forced
sincerity in pursuing his aim is written in through fear and lure, the Yoga is lost
his aspiration. This is known only to the and its spirit escapes, leaving an empty
Divine in his heart or, if he is sincere, then to shell, plastered with soulless mechanical
his own awakened consciousness. A given rituals and blood-stained thrones, where
technique may make you an extremely the heady wine of politics and religion mix
skilful archer, perhaps even the best in the chalice and destroy both. No doubt
as far as the science and art of archery politics, like everything, must awaken to its
goes. That is what Bhissma and Dronnaacaarya own spiritual possibilities but for that the

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