Aptavani-2 Aptavani-02 | Page 479

430 Aptavani-2 the three gunas (attributes of the non-self; the prakruti). The Vedas verily illuminate the three gunas.” It was after meeting Lord Neminath that Lord Krishna spoke the Gita. Prior to that He was a Vedanti; one who follows the Vedas. In the Gita, He said, “Traigunya vishayo vedo nistraiyai gunyo Bhavarjuna.” He made this great statement. He said that in order to know the Self, one will have to go beyond, the Vedanta. He said, “Hey, Arjun! Go beyond the holder of the three gunas (trigunatmak i.e. the prakruti) to know the Self.” What are these three gunas? They are sattva (goodness, relative awareness), rajas (passion, desires) and tamas (darkness, relative unawareness, lethargy). The Vedas support the science of the three gunas; therefore your work will be done only if you go beyond them. Besides, each of these three gunas exists as duality and therefore goes beyond the three gunas and understands the Self that is beyond all dualities. Lord Krishna has said for one to go beyond the three gunas in order to realize the Atma but people do not understand this. What do all the four Vedas themselves say, in their conclusion? They say, “Ne iti…Ne iti… This is not that…this is not that…” The Self that you are looking for is not in this; therefore if you want to know the Atma, go to a Gnani.” Lord Krishna has said, “God has not created this world; it has come about naturally (swabhavik).” Nishkam karma for the true renunciant of world Lord Krishna has shown two paths to moksha: One through sanyas i.e. renunciation and the other through nishkam yoga; to work without expectations of reward. Sanyas is a very high word but no one understands it. People have started to call all who wear ochre clothes; as sanyasi. Sanyas means to take nyas- to place or to deposit. It means to retrieve the self from the mind, body, and speech and place it in the Self. Such a being is a sanyasi. One cannot become a sanyasi until a Gnani Purush gives him the knowledge