Blog Posts

My answer is emphatically “No”. There is, in fact, an inter-relationship between these
two, the one supplementing the other. Bhakti is not at all antagonistic to Jnana. There is
undoubtedly a mutual dependence between the two. Both lead to the same destination.
You cannot entirely separate Bhakti from Jnana. When Bhakti matures, it becomes
transmuted into Jnana. A real Jnani is a devotee of Lord Hari, Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Lord
Siva, Durga, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Lord Jesus and Buddha. He is a Samarasa Bhakta. Some
ignorant people think that a Jnani is a dry man and has no devotion. This is a sad mistake. A
Jnani has a very, very large heart. Go through the hymns of Sri Sankaracharya and try to gauge
the depth of his devotion. Go through the writings of Sri Appayya Dikshitar and measure the
magnanimous depths of his unbounded devotion.
Swami Ram Tirth was a Jnani. Was he not a Bhakta of Lord Krishna? If a Vedantin
excludes Bhakti, remember he has not really grasped and understood Vedanta. The same
Nirguna Brahman manifests with a little Maya in a comer as Saguna Brahman for the pious
worship of His devotees.
Bhakti is not divorced from Jnana. On the contrary, Jnana intensifies Bhakti. He who
has a knowledge of Vedanta is well established in his devotion. He is steady and firm. Some
ignorant people say that if a Bhakta studies Vedanta, he will lose his devotion. This is wrong.
Study of Vedanta is an auxiliary to increase and develop one’s devotion. The devotion of a man
proficient in Vedantic literature is well-grounded. Bhakti and Jnana are like the two wings of a
bird to help one to fly unto Brahman, to the summit of Mukti.
From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda