Sagun Nirgun

26: rūpa pāhatā locani

In the Eknathi Bhagwat, in a dialogue between the Lord and Uddhava, Lord Shree Krishna explains the importance of ‘Sattva Guna’.

All creatures are governed by three qualities or Gunas namely, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Sattva Guna’ helps in the stability of the mind and with the grace of a Guru true knowledge of the Supreme is revealed. ‘Sattva Guna’ can be enhanced through the right diet, satsang, studying the scriptures, listening to discourses and contemplation. ‘Sattvic’ diet is prime for ‘Sattva Guna.’ The Chandogya Upanishad describes that ‘a pure, sattvic diet purifies and strenghtens the mind’.

Sattvic food promotes one to follow the path of dharma. Sattvic food produces pure thoughts, sattvic faith, sattvic patience. Therefore, the doer becomes sattvic and his karma also becomes sattvic. He becomes charitable. The fruits of all his actions are also sattvic. He does not fear death. Such an individual, thus, experiences true happiness. Let us look at an example. ‘Death’ bowed before Dhruva, a devotee who followed sattvic dharma. Similarly, Pitamah Bhishmacharya faced death with joy that arrived only when he decided it was time. By the power of ‘Sattva Guna’ P. P. Shree Vasudevanandasaraswati Swami Maharaj stopped ‘death’ in it’s tracks and told what day it should arrive. This incidence is described in His Holiness’s Charitram.

Various saints have explained that ‘Nirgun Upasana’ and ‘Sagun Upasana’ allows one to enhance one’s ‘Sattva Guna’. Let us see what nirgun worship is. In the human body, the place of nirgun incorporeal is ‘Bindu’ or ‘Shoonya (shape of a lentil seed)’. The wise, yogis’ worship this ‘Bindu’. Ordinary people do not know how to worship the ‘Bindu.’ For them, ‘Shaligram’, ‘Narmada Ganapati’, ‘Shoonyakriti Sphatik Mani’ are forms of ‘Nirgun’ worship. For those who wish for an easier form of worship, the saints have described the worship of the gross idol. Kapil Mahamuni described the path of ‘Sagun Upasana’ to his mother Devhuti. She worshipped the Idol of Shree Hari.’ Jagadguru Shankaracharya also advised his mother to worship Shree Krishna. Such idol worship is equally important and pleasing.

In summary, there are different ways of worship. One is free to choose any form of worship he wishes and desires and experience peace.

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