The way of Being of a Sadhak – Bhakti Yoga

The Way of Being of a Sadhak – Bhakti Yoga

The bridging Bhagavan Nityananda’s experiential guidance with Shree Krishna’s teachings in the Bhagavad Gita, particularly Chapter 12 (Bhakti Yoga), which maps out the characteristics of the highest devotees. By studying each verse and aphorism through the lens of Sudha Bhavana (Pure Feeling/Pure Attitude), an attempt is made to illuminate how bhāvanā itself becomes the seedbed of Yogic attainment.

The first aphorism

Bhagavad Gita 12.1

अर्जुन उवाच
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते ।
ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥

Arjuna said: Those devotees who, ever steadfast, thus worship You (the personal form), and those again who meditate upon the Imperishable and the Unmanifest — of these, who are better versed in Yoga?

Bhagavan Nityananda’s Insights and Bhavanas Associated:

This aphorism opens the door to a deep inner classification—not of superiority—but of temperament and eligibility. Bhagavan Nityananda emphasized Sudha Bhavana (Pure Bhāva), which refines the very lens through which a seeker sees the Self, the world, and the Guru. The Gita is asking: Is it better to worship with form, or without form? Bhagavan goes further—not just how you worship, but with what mind you worship.

We can apply several Bhavanas here:

1. Anitya Bhavana (Impermanence of the body and forms):

This reflects on the transient nature of the manifested form of God or the world. A devotee with Sudha Bhavana realises that form is merely a doorway, not the end. Bhagavan Nityananda, though appearing in a form, pointed beyond it. When Shree Sitaram Shenoy passed away, his wife was inconsolable. Bhagavan said to her, “Why are you grieving? For what are you grieving?  One who takes birth must die. Death is the only certainty. Rama and Krishna had to die. Even ‘This One’ has to die someday!”

A mature seeker understands that:

“Form worship (Saguna) is helpful, but one must transcend form and rest in the Unchanging.”

The one who meditates on the Akshara-Avyakta (Imperishable, Unmanifest) is practising this Bhavana. However, only a highly purified mind (Sudha Antahkarana) can stay there. For a young aspirant who wishes to pursue the spiritual path, the God with form helps.

2. Ashuchi Bhavana (Impurity of the body):

This Bhavana helps the seeker dis-identify from the body. Bhagavan frequently reminded us:

“The body is perishable. It is not the Self. Do not seek God in the body or identify God with any body, including your own.”

This aligns with the Avyakta worshipper in the Gita, who has transcended bodily identifications. We often tend to be obsessed with the form or body of our Sadguru. In the process, we lose sight of his Tattva. This hampers the Sadhana.

3. Ashrav Bhavana (Transient pleasures are traps of Samsara):

Bhagavan used to say, “What is there today, will not be there tomorrow. Are you trying to capture/catch hold of your shadow?”

A Bhavana that trains the mind to see worldly enjoyments as distractions. One worshipping the Avyakta sees no delight in outer things; even form-worship is engaged in with detachment. Only a steady, pure mind can abide in this truth without falling into despair or apathy.

4. Ekatva Bhavana (Oneness):

This is central. Both kinds of devotees—form worshippers and formless contemplators—are approaching the same One. Sudha Bhavana arises when the Ego drops and “I” and “Thou” dissolve into One.

Bhagavan Nityananda often said: “Sab Mithi”—everything is sweet, everything is one, when ego is absent. 

This aligns beautifully with Gita’s idea that both paths are valid, provided they are taken with steady resolve and a purified mind.

5. Anyatva Bhavana (There is no ‘Other’)

This is the final destroyer of duality. In true Sudha Bhavana, there is no Guru and disciple, no form and formless—just That Alone. Whether one worships Krishna in form or the unmanifest Brahman, the end is freedom from dualistic perception.

Summary of the First Aphorism Analysis:

Bhagavad Gita 12.2

श्रीभगवानुवाच
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥

Shri Bhagavan said:
Those who, fixing their mind on Me, worship Me ever steadfastly and are endowed with supreme faith, are considered by Me to be the best in Yoga.

Correspondence with Bhagavan Nityananda’s Teachings and Bhavanas

This verse focuses on Saguna Bhakti (devotion with form), where a Sadhak fixes their mind completely on the Divine and remains unwavering in their Shraddha. Bhagavan Nityananda didn’t differentiate between paths, but emphasised the intensity, purity, and surrender of bhāvana.

Let’s explore this verse using the Bhavanas’s teachings :

1. Āsharana Bhāvana (I have no shelter except You)

“Āsharana Sharan” — the feeling that I have no other refuge, no one else to turn to, except the Divine (Guru).

This is the very soul of this verse. When the mind is completely fixed on Me (mayy āveśya mano ye), it reflects an inner state where the ego has exhausted all supports and now clings only to the Divine.

In Bhagavan Nityananda’s path, this is what true surrender means—no bargains, no alternatives — just complete resting in the Divine presence.

Sudha Bhāvana arises when the Sadhak ceases to seek external validation or refuge. The inner call becomes total.

2. Ashrav Bhāvana (Worldly pleasures are distractions from the Real)

This Bhavana serves as the protective boundary for the Sadhak. In the Gita verse, those who are ever steadfast (nitya-yuktāḥ) are those who have consciously rejected the pull of sensory distractions.

Bhagavan often used silence or a look to remind seekers: This world will not last. Do not run after it.

To maintain nitya-yukti, one must have seen through the ashravs — the leaks of energy toward the world. This is not repression, but clear discrimination (viveka) that arises from inner maturity.

Sudha Bhāvana is protected and matured by Ashrav Bhāvana — the turning away from the periphery toward the Centre.

3. Ekatva Bhāvana (Oneness with the Divine)

This Bhavana is central to mayy āveśya manah — when the mind is wholly fixed on the Divine, the sense of separateness gradually dissolves. The devotee does not see God as distant, but as intimately present, as the very Self.

Bhagavan Nityananda often sat in absolute stillness, silently radiating this non-dual presence. Those who sat near Him would feel this shift — that there was no “other”. The gap between worshipper and worshipped was quietly closed.

Sudha Bhāvana flourishes when the feeling of “I and Thou” melts into the undivided sense of Oneness.

4. Anyatva Bhāvana (There is no ‘other’ — all is One Reality)

This Bhavana supports and extends Ekatva. It is not just that I am one with the Divine, but there is no second reality at all — not even world, time, or multiplicity. The ‘Me’ that surrenders also dissolves. Only Tat (That) remains.

In the Gita’s words, those who worship Me with unwavering faith are not worshipping something outside themselves, but recognising the eternal unity.

Bhagavan’s utterance “Sabh Mithi” is the natural fruit of this Bhāvana — all is sweet, all is That, for there is no other.

Sudha Bhāvana is the lens through which the seeker sees no duality. No outside, no inside. Just Presence.

Summary Table

Thus,

In this verse, faith, fixity, and fidelity to the Divine are called the highest Yoga.
But Bhagavan’s guidance reminds us that this is possible only when the Bhāvana is pure—not emotional or ritualistic, but free of ego and concept.

Only when the Āsharana Bhāvana is total, can the mind be fixed.
Only when Ashravs have been dropped, can there be steadiness.
Only when Ekatva and Anyatva are realized, does devotion become Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 12.3–4

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते ।
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलंध्रुवम् ॥
सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

Translation:
But those who worship the Imperishable (Akshara), the indefinable, the unmanifest (Avyakta), the omnipresent, the unthinkable, the unchanging, the immovable, the eternal… having restrained all the senses, even-minded everywhere, and devoted to the welfare of all beings — they too attain Me alone.

Let us now interpret this in light of Sudha Bhāvana, as emphasised by Bhagavan Nityananda, with the relevant Bhāvanās:

1. Anitya Bhāvana (All things are impermanent)

When one turns toward the Imperishable, the Akshara, one must first deeply realise the anityatā of the manifest world. Nothing here lasts—this insight must not just be intellectual, but experiential.

Bhagavan Nityananda constantly reminded devotees through actions, glances, and silence:

“Everything you see is unreal. That which does not change — that is Real.”

Sudha Bhāvana blossoms when the Sadhak no longer clings to perishable identities, desires, or roles.

2. Saṁsāra Bhāvana (Seeing the world as a cycle of birth-death and bondage)

In this path, the seeker clearly sees Samsara as suffering. Even beautiful things in life—relationships, possessions, or accomplishments—carry within them the seeds of loss and bondage.

Bhagavan Nityananda’s indifference to praise, wealth, rituals, or status was not rejection, but a quiet teaching:
“This is not worth clinging to.”

The Sadhak, in turn, must cultivate the Bhāvana that Samsara is not the goal—Mukti is.

This Bhāvana leads the mind inward, making it ready for the Unmanifest.

3. Ashuchi Bhāvana (Recognising impurity of the body and sensory world)

This does not mean hatred for the body or creation, but rather a dispassionate attitude.
The senses lead the mind outward, but the formless God is beyond all sensory perception.

Gita says: “Having restrained the senses…”
This is possible only when one sees through the inherent restlessness and impurity of sensory attractions.

Bhagavan Nityananda often discouraged over-indulgence or fascination with psychic experiences and visions.
He guided toward stillness, nirvasana (freedom from desire), and Nirmal Maan (pure mind).

The Ashuchi Bhāvana assists in stilling the senses and awakening inner perception.

4. Ekatva Bhāvana (Oneness of the Self with the Supreme)

To meditate on the Avyakta is to dissolve into It.
There is no object to grasp. There is only a resting in Being, an Awareness of Awareness.
Ekatva Bhāvana here is non-doership, non-duality, and no separation.

Bhagavan lived this effortlessly. He didn’t teach from separation — he was That.

“The Dnynani doesn’t say ‘I see God’ — he says ‘I am That.”

Ekatva Bhāvana is essential to settle into the Unmanifest, where no object of worship exists, only Presence.

5. Anyatva Bhāvana (There is no ‘other’; all is One)

A pinnacle Bhāvana. The Gita says such a devotee is equal-minded toward all, and acts for the welfare of all beings. Why?
Because they see no other. All beings are seen as the Self. There is no separate ‘I’ or ‘you’.

Bhagavan’s spontaneous compassion—even in silence—arose from this Bhāvana. He didn’t ‘choose’ to help; it flowed naturally from his Oneness with all.

Sudha Bhāvana, in this case, becomes the soil where love, discrimination, and oneness merge into Pure Awareness.

Thus,

This path is subtle, steep, and silent. Not for all.
As Krishna says later (12.5), “Greater is the difficulty for those whose minds are set on the unmanifest.” But it is also the most direct.

Bhagavan Nityananda’s Chidakasha Gita, his still presence, and sayings like “Sab Mithi” are not descriptions of devotion, but of Being Itself.

So in this verse, the bhāvanās you’ve chosen—Anitya, Saṁsāra, Ashuchi, Ekatva, Anyatva—are not practices, but realisations.
They are not just lenses to see the Divine — they are the modes through which ego vanishes and only Pure Awareness remains.

Bhagavad Gita 12.4 (part of previous verse)

सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

Translation:
Having restrained all their senses, even-minded in all situations, and rejoicing in the welfare of all beings, they too attain Me alone.

Let us now unfold the inner Bhavanas that support such realisation, as per your lens of:

• Ashrav Bhāvana

• Ekatva Bhāvana

And link them to Bhagavan Nityananda’s guidance on Sadhana and inner purity.

1. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Seeing sensual indulgence and external distractions as causes of bondage)

“Sanniyamya indriyagrāmam” — the cluster of senses must be fully restrained. This is not repression but a peaceful withdrawal — a return inward.

Ashravs are energy leaks — the small and large indulgences that bind the Jiva to Samsara.
The Ashrav Bhāvana does not imply hatred of the world, but a clear perception that such distractions are not worth the cost of inner freedom.

Bhagavan Nityananda rarely gave lectures, but his entire posture and lifestyle radiated this Bhāvana:

“Let the senses fall silent. What you are looking for is not outside.”

He never encouraged seeking siddhis, visions, or emotional highs. Instead, he directed seekers to stillness, simplicity, and mastery over the senses.

Sudha Bhāvana strengthens when Ashrav Bhāvana is lived, not just understood. Then the inner flow becomes steady.

2. Ekatva Bhāvana

(The perception of oneness of all beings and the Self)

“Sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ” — equanimity in all places and situations arises only when oneness is perceived. Otherwise, preferences and aversions cause disturbance.

When the Jiva is rooted in duality, it reacts to every situation — praise and blame, loss and gain, friend and enemy.
But in Ekatva Bhāvana, everything is seen as a form of the One, whether joy or pain.

Bhagavan Nityananda often said, “Sabh Mithi” — all is sweet — not because it’s pleasant, but because all is Brahman.
Even suffering, death, or insult cannot disturb one who abides in Ekatva. It is all ‘Empty & Meaningless’! It is we who give meaning and become happy or sad.

This Bhāvana is what makes equanimity possible, not mental discipline alone.

A Hidden Bhāvana — Sarva-Bhūta-Hita-Rataḥ

(Joy in the welfare of all beings)

This is not a mere social service. It arises naturally from the absence of the ego and the presence of Ekatva Bhāvana.

Bhagavan didn’t run charities — yet, his mere presence transformed lives.
He served through Being, not through doing. Because he was one with all, service was automatic.

This is the state where compassion is not effort, but a radiation of inner fullness. This could be viewed as Karuna Bhāvana, born out of Sudha Bhāvana and Ekatva.

Thus, Sudha Bhāvana, when ripened, expresses as:

• Sama-buddhi (Equanimity)

• Sanniyama (Sense-restraint)

• Sarva-bhūta-hita (Selfless universal goodwill)

 Summary Table

Thus,

This verse teaches that liberation is not reserved for Saguna or Nirguna Bhaktas, but for those whose Bhāvana has matured into:

• Silent awareness (sannyama),

• Non-reactivity (sama-buddhi),

• Spontaneous compassion (sarva-bhūta-hita).

These are not qualities to be practised externally but emerge from Sudha Bhāvana.
Bhagavan Nityananda’s entire life and presence was a living embodiment of this state.

He didn’t preach Ashrav Bhāvana — He was the silent pull inward.
He didn’t explain Ekatva — in his presence, it became real.

Bhagavad Gita 12.5

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥

Translation:
Greater is the trouble for those whose minds are set on the Unmanifest. The path of the Unmanifest is very difficult for the embodied to follow.

Bhagavan Nityananda often gave no direct verbal answers, yet His silence would pull one deep within. However, not everyone could sustain this, especially those not yet purified in Bhāvana.

Bhāvanās for this verse:

• Saṁsāra Bhāvana

• Anyatva Bhāvana

are very fitting — they explain why the formless path is difficult and point toward the bridge needed for those not ready to grasp the Absolute directly.

1. Saṁsāra Bhāvana

(Seeing the world as a wheel of bondage and suffering, not a place of ultimate joy)

Why is the Unmanifest so hard to reach for the embodied?
Because embodiment naturally draws the mind outward — toward form, identity, emotion, pleasure, grief, relationship, and achievement.

Unless the Sadhak develops deep dispassion through Saṁsāra Bhāvana, he remains entangled in these outward pulls.
This is not a rejection of life, but clarity about its nature.

Bhagavan Nityananda’s life was a radiant lesson in this Bhāvana.

He sat unclothed, unmoved, often in public places—untouched by Samsara. Not to shock, but to show: “There is nothing here to possess.”

Without Saṁsāra Bhāvana, the mind pretends to seek God but secretly still desires the world.

2. Anyatva Bhāvana

(Seeing that what is not the Self is “other” — and thus not to be identified with)

This Bhāvana gives Viveka (discrimination) — a necessary blade to cut through the veil of Maya.
Krishna says, “avaktā hi gatir duḥkham” — the Unmanifest path is painful for those who still identify with the body.

Why?
Because the mind naturally latches onto “I am this body,” “this is my joy,” “that is my pain.”
Until Anyatva Bhāvana arises, there’s no room for the realisation of the formless, changeless Self.

Bhagavan Nityananda’s detachment from identity was complete. He never accepted praise or ownership. Even the name “Bhagavan” was a human imposition.

Anyatva Bhāvana matures when one feels:

• I am not this role

• Not this memory

• Not this name or even this thought
  Then slowly, one shifts from egohood to Witnesshood, and the “Unmanifest” becomes accessible.

Additional Bhāvana Implied: Āsharana Bhāvana

(There is no refuge except the Divine)

When Krishna says this path is hard, he is not dismissing it. He is inviting the heart to seek grace.
Those who try to “reach” the Unmanifest by effort alone will find it exhausting.

But those who cry out with Āsharana Bhāvana — “O Lord, I can’t do this alone” — are led gently, even if slowly.

Bhagavan often said:

“Guru Krupa Kevalam – Guru Kripa is everything.”
The outer world is not a refuge. Even one’s will is not a refuge. Only That, which is beyond refuge is the final refuge.

This verse compassionately reminds us that purity of Bhāvana is the true readiness for the formless path. Bhagavan Nityananda didn’t reject any devotee, but He let each one arrive at their own depth of Sudha Bhāvana, through experiences, failures, silence, or even seeming neglect.

Verse 12.5 is not a discouragement. It is a call to Bhāvana-based Sadhana, not just dry Advaita.

“If your Bhāvana is pure, the path becomes effortless.”
— Bhagavan Nityananda’s life was this message.

Bhagavad Gita 12.6

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः ।
अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥

Translation:
But those who, renouncing all actions in Me, making Me their Supreme Goal, worship Me with unwavering Yoga and single-pointed meditation…

This is not a vague call to devotion—it is a clear description of Bhāvana in action: the offering of one’s life, mind, and heart into the Divine with unwavering loyalty. Let’s unfold your Bhavanas one by one.

1. Āsharana Bhāvana

(“I have no other refuge but You”)

“Mayi sannyasya” — renouncing all actions into Me.
This is not escapism, but total surrender of the ego-doership. The devotee acts, but the fruits, the identity, the burden—all are surrendered.

This Bhāvana matures when the seeker sees:

• No worldly plan will truly protect.

• No intellectual mastery can resolve the inner thirst.

• Only the Divine Presence is the final shelter and support.

Bhagavan Nityananda constantly emphasised this.
Even when He said little, His presence dissolved the ego’s grasp on control.
He pulled sincere seekers into Āsharana Bhāvana through silent grace.

2. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Recognizing sensual activity and egoic reactions as obstacles to inner stillness)

This Bhāvana is subtly present in the line:
“Ananyenaiva yogena” — with single-pointed, exclusive Yoga.

To attain Ananya Bhakti, the mind must be cleansed of distractions and leaking tendencies.
This cleansing isn’t repression, but a graceful release—achieved through surrender, vigilance, and love.

Bhagavan rarely encouraged external asceticism. But his life showed how Ashravs (leaks) fade naturally when Sudha Bhāvana arises.

He often scolded those who “shared their spiritual attainments” or showed off miracles, because that too is Ashrav: the ego leaking out through subtle pride.

3. Ekatva Bhāvana

(The perception that all is One — that the worshipper and the worshipped are not ultimately two)

“Mām dhyāyantaḥ upāsate” — meditating on Me, they worship Me.
Here, the act of meditation and worship merges. The boundary between the doer and the deity becomes soft.

Ekatva Bhāvana does not cancel out Saguna Bhakti—it flowers within it.
The devotee sees the form of the Lord but senses its unbroken unity with all.

Bhagavan Nityananda often said:

“He who sees himself in all beings, and all beings in the Self, is the real Bhakta.”

In his presence, duality fell away, even for those who began their journey with form-based devotion.

4. Anyatva Bhāvana

(Seeing that which is not the Self as “other” and renouncing identification with it)

The very act of renunciation of karma, ego, and wandering thoughts is born of Anyatva Bhāvana.

Unless one realises:

• “I am not in this role”

• “Not this karma”

• “Not even this mind”
  — True meditation on the Supreme cannot arise.

Anyatva Bhāvana is not dry detachment. It is a sacred discrimination that makes devotion possible.
It says: “Not this, not this—only That.”

Bhagavan Nityananda lived this Bhāvana through effortless detachment—He never claimed ownership of a place, a disciple, a teaching. That clarity freed others, too.

This verse describes the Bhakta Yogi—not the scholar, not the renunciate—but the one whose Bhāvana is pure, whole, and surrendered.

Such a Sadhak may perform daily actions, chant, meditate, or serve—but inwardly, everything is offered into That One Presence.

This is Sudha Bhāvana made alive.

Bhagavan Nityananda did not tell us to choose Saguna or Nirguna—but to become pure in Bhāvana. From there, any path—form or formless—leads directly to God.

Bhagavad Gita 12.7

तेषामहम् समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् ।
भवामि नचिरात् पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥

Translation:
For those whose minds are absorbed in Me, O Partha, I become, erelong, the saviour out of the ocean of death and Samsara.

Krishna assures that if the devotee lives in Him, He personally intervenes — not just gives knowledge, not just inspires — but becomes the Liberator.

This is where the metaphysical teachings turn into compassionate reality.
Your chosen Bhāvanas—Āsharana, Samsara, Ashrav, and Anyatva—are beautifully placed.

Let’s reflect on each in context.

1. Āsharana Bhāvana

(“I have no refuge but You”)

This is the core of the verse. The devotee, having renounced all outer and inner props, now abides with mind fully absorbed (mayy āveśita-cetasām). Not partially, not intellectually—but with utter dependence on Krishna.

Such a one has realised:

• No method can save me.

• No merit can claim deliverance.

• Only God Himself can.

This Bhāvana is exactly what Bhagavan Nityananda inspired in His silence.
He rarely preached. But those who sat with Him long enough often came to one conclusion:

“He alone is. He alone can carry me across.”

2. Saṁsāra Bhāvana

(Seeing the world as an ocean of birth and death, not a place of lasting fulfilment)

Krishna describes this world as मृत्यु-संसार-सागर — the ocean of death-bound Samsara.

Only when a devotee sees the true nature of Samsara does real surrender arise.
Not just fear, but clear discernment:

• Everything perishes here.

• Joy and sorrow swing endlessly.

• This is not my home.

Bhagavan Nityananda, too, did not advocate world-rejection, but inner detachment.
He often allowed worldly people to serve Him while living amidst Samsara—but he infused in them this vision of impermanence, and the need to go beyond it.

3. Ashrav Bhāvana

(The recognition of all vasanas, karmic leakage, and ego as distractions from the Supreme Goal)

Why can’t one cross the ocean of Samsara on one’s own?
Because the mind is not pure enough, not steady enough.

Ashravs are those habitual mental-emotional reactions—desire, fear, pride, doubt—that leak away our energy and keep us cycling through Samsara.

Here, the Bhakta has begun to see these clearly and has offered even these to the Lord.
Hence, Krishna says: “Mayy āveśita cetasām” — their minds are centred in Me, no longer chasing outer impulses.

Bhagavan Nityananda taught this not by naming it, but by magnetising the mind inward.
People forgot their desires in His presence. The Ashravs would dissolve in Sudha Bhāvana.

4. Anyatva Bhāvana

(Realising all that is not the Self—not “I” — not truly Mine)

This Bhāvana matures when the seeker renounces identification with all that is transient:

• The body

• The mind

• Relationships

• Even one’s “story”

That clarity makes the seeker light enough to be lifted across the ocean.

Bhagavan never encouraged self-definition or self-importance.
He dissolved people’s identities in silence.
He was not “your guru” or “your father” or “your miracle-worker.” He was a window to the Self.

One cannot be saved from Samsara if one clings to “I” and “mine.”
Anyatva Bhāvana becomes the boat, and Krishna/Guru becomes the boatman.

Symbolism: “Ocean of Samsara”

Just as a helpless person drowning cries only for rescue, not for explanations or philosophies,
So too the Bhakta with these Bhāvanas no longer seeks mere knowledge, but deliverance.

Bhagavan Nityananda would sometimes ignore cries of help, yet quietly act to protect or uplift.
He was like Krishna — not swayed by words, but by Bhāvana.

Verse 12.7 confirms that Sudha Bhāvana is not just the beginning—it is the key condition for Divine intervention.

Krishna does not save everyone.
He saves those whose hearts are solely fixed on Him, who have:

• No ego left to manage,

• No desire left to fulfill,

• No doubt left to shelter.

Just as the Gita says:

“I become the Saviour.”

So too Bhagavan once told a devotee:

“Why fear when ‘This One’ here?”
— and the devotee was lifted out of his despair.

This verse is the fruit of the Bhāvanas you’ve named. It is where faith becomes fulfilment, and seeking turns into resting in Grace.

Bhagavad Gita 12.9

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् ।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥

Translation:
If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, O Dhananjaya, then seek to reach Me through constant practice, by the Yoga of repetition.

Here, Krishna accepts the realistic limitations of many seekers. He doesn’t condemn the restless mind. Instead, He gives a tool: Abhyāsa Yoga—the Yoga of repeated inward turning, practised with Shraddhā and patience.

Now, let’s explore how Ashrav and Anyatva Bhāvanas apply here:

1. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Awareness of mental leakage; recognising tendencies that scatter awareness)

This verse is meant for one who cannot hold the mind in God for long.

Why? Because of Ashravas—unpurified impressions:

• Desires

• Past conditioning

• Regrets and hopes

• Attachments to body, roles, outcomes

Krishna is gently saying:

“If your chitta cannot remain absorbed in Me, it means residue remains.
So begin with Abhyāsa: repeated inward turning.”

Thus:

• Ashrav Bhāvana helps the seeker see clearly what keeps pulling them away.

• As awareness sharpens, each Ashrav is seen as a leak of vital force, diluting Sudha Bhāvana.

Bhagavan Nityananda, through utter simplicity, helped dissolve these ashravas.
He would say, “Be simple. Be still. Don’t desire anything.”
Even a word or glance from Him would settle a stormy mind. That was His way of burning ashrav.

2. Anyatva Bhāvana

(Seeing the non-Self as non-Self; disidentification with all that is not Divine)

Repeated Abhyāsa leads to detachment—but only if the seeker knows what to disidentify from.

Anyatva Bhāvana allows the seeker to recognise:

• “This thought is not Me.”

• “This feeling is not Me.”

• “Even the desire for spiritual success is not Me.”

Krishna does not say: “Force the mind to stay on Me.”
Instead, He says: “Seek to reach Me through constant practice.”
That means: be patient, consistent, and dispassionate.

With every breath, drop what is not Me.
With every effort, rest a little deeper in Me.

Bhagavan Nityananda did not instruct people to practice complex yogas.
He radiated the state into which Abhyāsa would eventually ripen: natural stillness and absorption.

But until then, practice must be done with humility and disidentification.

Abhyāsa Yoga & Bhāvana 

A Compassionate Descent

Bhagavan Nityananda’s presence itself was a graceful descent of divine compassion, like this verse.

• Just as Krishna steps down from absorption (12.8) to practice (12.9),

• Bhagavan allowed people to begin where they were.

He didn’t reject worldly devotees. He uplifted them gradually, removing Ashravs through silence, and helping them forget their ego-identities (Anyatva) just by proximity.

Abhyāsa is not a rigid effort.
It is a sincere return, over and over again, to the pure Bhāvana of God.

Each time the mind strays, the seeker says inwardly:

“Not this… not this.
You alone are my rest.”

This is Sudha Bhāvana unfolding in practice.

Bhagavad Gita 12.10

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव ।
मदर्थम् अपि कर्माणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥

Translation:
If you are unable to even practice Abhyāsa-Yoga, then be intent on performing actions for My sake. Even by doing actions for My sake, you shall attain perfection.

• The lowest rung of the fourfold sadhana ladder from verses 12.8 to 12.11

• Yet it is not a lesser path; it is a deeply transformative approach for householders and active minds

• It subtly initiates Sudha Bhāvana through purified Karma

 Ashrav Bhāvana in this Verse

Ashrav means subtle outflow or leakage of consciousness into worldly vasanas, into personal ambition, identity, likes, dislikes, etc.
When action is done:

• for personal gain → ego grows

• for recognition → bondage increases

• for duty alone → may still bind if “I” is the doer

But when action is done for God’s sake (madartham), it becomes a method of dissolving ego. This is the essence of Ashrav Bhāvana: to stop the leakage of energy into “mine-ness” and redirect it into devotion.

Why is this Ashrav Bhāvana and not Ekatva Bhāvana?

Because at this stage:

• The devotee still sees duality—“I act, for You”

• But Krishna accepts this, and says it leads to Siddhi (perfection), because ego gradually dissolves

So even while duality remains, Ashrav is being purified.
Bhāvana is becoming Sudha (pure), free of personal motive.

Bhagavan Nityananda & Madartham Karma

Bhagavan often encouraged selfless service:

• Cooking for ashram

• Cleaning temple spaces

• Serving poor, ill, or children
  — but without doership, without expectation.

He never insisted on elaborate rituals or Japa. But if one served with humility, He was pleased.

He once said:

“Do good. Be good. Be still.”
And He often physically walked away from those who bragged about their acts of service.

This was His way of cutting Ashrav—even service becomes impure when ego returns.

What does Madartham Karma mean?

1. Not just doing puja or bhajan

→ It means offering every action, even mundane work—to Him.

• Cooking? Offer it to God.

• Working in office? Offer results to Guru.

• Talking to someone? Speak as God’s instrument.

2. Intention is everything

→ If Bhāvana behind the act is pure, it becomes Yogic Karma.

The outer act does not matter.
The inner Bhāvana alone sanctifies it.

Whenever you perform any action today, inwardly say:

“Not mine. This is for You.”
Let this simple Bhāvana melt the subtle Ashravs.

Even if thoughts wander or ego resists, this gentle inner redirection leads to:

• Purification of will

• Softening of ego

• Ripening of Bhakti into Jnana

1. If you are unable even to practise Abhyasa-Yoga, be you intent on performing actions for My sake; even by doing actions for My sake, you shall attain perfection.

Bhagavad Gita 12.11

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः ।
सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं तत: कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥

Translation:
If even this (performing actions for My sake) you are unable to do, then, taking refuge in Me, renounce the fruits of all actions, with self-control.

This is not a fallback. It is Krishna’s ultimate lifeline to the majority of seekers:

• Those in families

• Those with distractions

• Those too entangled to fix the mind or offer every karma

• But who still feel love, longing, or helpless surrender

Let’s reflect on each Bhāvana in your list and how it manifests here:

1. Āsharana Bhāvana

(Feeling of having no other shelter but the Divine)

This is the heart of the verse:

“mad-yogam āśritah” — “take refuge in Me.”

This Bhāvana arises when:

• The seeker has tried japa, meditation, seva, but the mind remains restless.

• One realises: I am incapable. I can’t even do this. I don’t even know how to surrender properly.

This is the spiritual collapse of the ego—and the rise of genuine helplessness, where the only cry left is:

“You alone are the doer. I am Yours.”

Bhagavan Nityananda often told devotees:

“You are not doing anything. Everything happens through God’s Will.”
He encouraged complete reliance on the Guru’s Grace. That is Āsharana Bhāvana.

 2. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Understanding and arresting mental leakage—doership, desire for result)

Krishna says:

“sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ kuru” — Renounce the fruits of all actions.

This is not inaction. It is inner renunciation:

• Do the karma.

• But let the results, success/failure, praise/blame, go.

• Stop the Ashrava of clinging to “I did”, “I succeeded”, “I deserve”.

Each such clinging is a psychic leakage, a break in Sudha Bhāvana.

Bhagavan Nityananda showed this through his own life. He would:

• Help hundreds silently, without claiming credit.

• Walk away when praised.

• Leave in the middle of a gathering.

He didn’t want people attaching karma-phala to Him. He burnt ashravas through detachment.

 3. Anyatva Bhāvana

(Seeing the false self as “not me”; disidentifying from ego and its activities)

This Bhāvana is reinforced through:

• Karma-phala-tyāga — because it dissolves the “I” that claims results

• When one offers the fruits, one subtly also offers the false ‘I’

Here, the Bhāvana deepens:

“This doer is not me. These outcomes are not mine.
Even this karma, and this instrument, belongs to Him.”

It is not yet Ekatva Bhāvana (oneness), but it is clearing the ground by steadily emptying the Anya (the other).

This is the beginning of inner purity—Sudha Bhāvana arises here.

Bhagavan Nityananda & Sudha Bhāvana in Karma-Phala-Tyāga

Bhagavan didn’t preach renunciation in words. He embodied it.

• He never claimed any siddhi, though miracles happened around Him.

• He never said, “I healed”, “I built this”, or “I made you pure.”

• He let actions happen through Him—like wind passing through space.

He had no Ashrava, no Anyatva, and complete Āsharana in God’s will.

That is why His Bhāvana was always Sudha—pure, unclinging, spontaneous.

When doing even a small action today—like cooking, walking, emailing—pause and say inwardly:

“Let this be done through me.
Let me not claim anything.
I am not the doer, nor the enjoyer.
I take refuge in You.”

This is Sudha Bhāvana arising from Ashrav Bhāvana.

From Ashrav to Sudha

The trajectory is now clear:

• 12.8 → Nirguna Bhakti (Ekatva Bhāvana)

• 12.9 → Abhyāsa Yoga (Anyatva Bhāvana, Ashrav)

• 12.10 → Karma for God (Ashrav)

• 12.11 → Karma-phala-tyāga (Āsharana + Ashrav + Anyatva)

This descending ladder purifies Bhāvana, so it rises again, effortlessly, as Sudha Bhāvana.

Bhagavad Gita 12.12

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानम् अभ्यासाज्ज्ञानात् ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।
ध्यानात् कर्मफलत्यागस् त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥

Translation:
Knowledge is better than mere practice; meditation is superior to knowledge; renunciation of the fruits of actions is superior to meditation—peace immediately follows renunciation.

 Ashrav Bhāvana?

Let’s first understand what Ashrav means in this spiritual context:

“Ashrav” refers to the subtle leakage of spiritual energy through egoic identification, desire, and doership—creating new karma and binding the jiva further in samsara.

The Bhāvana of Ashrav is therefore about:

• Recognising the traps of ego-based action

• Becoming alert to vasana-driven motivations

• Arresting the inner leakage through renunciation

The Fourfold Ladder in This Verse

And what is the immediate result?

“Shāntir anantaram” – Peace follows immediately.

 Why Renunciation of Fruits Trumps Even Dhyāna

Because:

• In meditation, a subtle meditator still exists.

• In knowledge, a knower remains.

• In karma-phala-tyāga, both agent and enjoyer vanish.

So what remains?

The non-leaking state of pure consciousness—Sudha Bhāvana.

Bhagavan Nityananda never encouraged exhibitionist sadhana. His grace descended most often on:

• Simple seva-karis (ashram workers)

• Devotees cooking in the kitchen

• Watchmen guarding in the night

Why? Because they acted without any desire for reward, without even expecting darshan.

Bhagavan once said:

“If you remember God and do your duty, peace will follow.”

That’s exactly what Krishna says here.
Shanti is not the result of achievement. It is the result of absence of craving.

“I act, but do not own the result.
I offer the action, and step away.
Let whatever happens, happen.
I am not the doer.”

This single Bhāvana—Ashrav Bhāvana—melts the mental resistances and reveals a natural peace.

It is not dramatic, not ecstatic.
It is quiet, deep, and free.

This verse does not degrade meditation or knowledge. It simply states that:

• Without renunciation, even deep sadhana leaks into ego.

• With renunciation, even simple life becomes divine.

Hence, Bhagavan Nityananda’s silence, simplicity, stillness, and non-attachment were not signs of inaction—but signs of one who had transcended Ashrav completely.

1. ‘Knowledge’ is indeed better than ‘practice’; ‘meditation’ is better than ‘knowledge’; ‘renunciation of the fruits of actions’ is better than ‘meditation’; peace immediately follows ‘renunciation’.

Bhagavad Gita 12.13

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।
निर्ममो निरहंकारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥

Translation:
He who has no hatred toward any being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, equal in pain and pleasure, and forgiving—such a one…

 1. Saṁsāra Bhāvana

(Contemplation of the nature of worldly existence—its dualities, sufferings, and bondage)

This verse presents a living antidote to the traps of Saṁsāra:

• Dvesha (hatred) arises from duality and false ownership.

• Attachment and ego (mamata & ahankara) are the foundations of bondage.

• Reactiveness to pain and pleasure is what ties one to the ever-oscillating world.

The devotee described here is one who has deeply reflected on the traps of samsāra, seen them for what they are, and quietly stepped out of their hold.

So yes, this verse reflects the realization that samsāra is suffering, and such a Bhakta has internalized that through:

Saṁsāra Bhāvana → leading to Detachment → leading to Compassion.

 2. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Understanding and halting inner leakage via emotional reactions, ego, judgment)

This verse reflects the mastery over Ashrav:

• Adveshṭā — no hatred, thus no mental leakage through anger.

• Maitraḥ — friendliness is free of expectation.

• Karunaḥ — compassion without superiority.

• Nirmamaḥ — no possessiveness (ownership = leakage).

• Nirahankaraḥ — no ego (“I did this”, “they wronged me”).

• Samaduhkhasukhaḥ — balanced in pain and pleasure.

• Kṣamī — forgiveness, the end of karmic knots.

All of this denotes conscious control over Ashrav—the outgoing tendencies of the mind that leak Shakti, create karma, and bind the jiva.

The Bhakta here is a reservoir, not a leaking pot.

 3. Ekatva Bhāvana

(Vision of Oneness with all beings—seeing God in all, and all in God)

“Adveshṭā sarva-bhūtānām” – He who hates no being…

This is not tolerance. It is recognition:

• There is no ‘other’.

• The pain in one being is pain in the universal Self.

• The joy in another is God dancing in another form.

Friendliness (maitri) and compassion (karuṇā) are natural offshoots of Ekatva Bhāvana, because:

When there is no ‘other’, there is no fear, jealousy, comparison, or alienation.
Only loving coexistence.

Bhagavan Nityananda, often naked, barefoot, silent—lived Ekatva Bhāvana.

• He gave equally to children, animals, madmen, and sadhus.

• His grace flowed indiscriminately, because He saw no ‘other’.

Once He said:

“Ant mein sab ek hai” — In the end, all is one.

That is Ekatva Bhāvana radiating as unconditional presence.

From Bhāvana to Sudha Bhāvana

When:

• Saṁsāra is recognised as false,

• Ashrav is consciously disarmed,

• and Ekatva is perceived in all beings…

…then Bhāvana becomes Sudha—pure, soft, non-reactive, loving.

This devotee is not struggling with inner conflict anymore.
He/She is radiant and cool like moonlight—Nityananda Bhāvana.

Translation:
Ever content, ever united in yoga, self-controlled, with firm conviction, whose mind and intellect are fixed in Me—such a devotee is dear to Me.

1. Saṁsāra Bhāvana

(Seeing the falsity of worldly ups and downs and consciously cultivating detachment)

The Bhakta is described as:

• Santushtaḥ (Ever Content)

• Yatātmā (Self-controlled)

• Dṛḍha-niścayaḥ (Firmly resolved)

These qualities do not arise unless one has deeply seen through the drama of the world—its temptations, fluctuations, and disappointments. This is the fruit of Saṁsāra Bhāvana.

Santushti is not lack of ambition; it is freedom from agitation caused by desires and their outcomes.

Bhagavan Nityananda reflected this state:

• No comfort, no formal home, no ambition.

• Yet He radiated complete fullness.

He lived in total contentment (Santosh), rooted in the Self.

 2. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Overcoming mental leakage through inner stillness, surrender, and non-reactiveness)

Let’s look at these qualities again:

• Yogiḥ satatam – always united in inner awareness

• Yatātmā – has mastered his lower self

• Māyya arpitamano buddhir – mind & intellect are surrendered to Me

Each of these qualities drains ego of its power and halts Ashrav.

In other words:

• When you do not leak through desire, you’re content.

• When you do not leak through judgment, you’re stable.

• When you do not leak through egoic assertion, you’re surrendered.

This is the Ashrav Bhāvana matured into Sudha Bhāvana.

3. Ekatva Bhāvana

(Perception of Oneness—non-separateness between devotee and Divine)

The closing line:

“yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ” – Such a devotee is dear to Me.

Why? Because his mind and intellect are no longer separate from the Divine.

• His thinking is Divine.

• His feeling is Divine.

• His self is absorbed in the Whole.

This is not just dualistic devotion; it’s non-dual awareness flowering as bhakti—where the ego has faded, and the only current that remains is loving unity.

Bhagavan Nityananda never gave long discourses. But those who sat before Him in silence felt this very absorption—the mind and buddhi melted, and what remained was Sudha Bhāvana.

Bhagavan didn’t call for rituals or outer religiosity. Instead, He radiated the message:

“Fix your mind and buddhi on God, surrender fully, and remain inwardly quiet.”

This verse exactly encapsulates the siddha-lakṣaṇa He embodied.

A devotee once asked, “What do I need to do?”
Bhagavan replied:

“No need to do. Only become quiet. Everything will be done.”

This is not idleness—it is the Yogiḥ satatam Krishna speaks of.
Stillness with surrender. Presence without pushing.

“Can I remain content—without changing my circumstances—because I know that what I seek is already present in Me?”

If yes, you are in Sudha Bhāvana.

1. Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessed of firm conviction, with mind and intellect dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to me.

Bhagavad Gita 12.15

यस्‍मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः ।
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥

Translation:
He by whom the world is not agitated and who is not agitated by the world, who is freed from joy, envy, fear, and anxiety—he, My devotee, is dear to Me.

Saṁsāra Bhāvana

(Contemplating the nature of worldly existence as transient, dualistic, and inherently disturbing to the untrained mind)

This verse highlights the jarring impacts of Saṁsāra:

• The world reacts and disturbs the unsteady mind.

• The Samsari jiva becomes a pendulum: swinging between praise/blame, gain/loss, fear/security.

But the Bhakta described here is immune to these dualities:

• The world does not agitate him.

• Nor does he agitate the world.

This equilibrium emerges only from true insight into Saṁsāra:

“This is a play of the gunas… I am not this.”

This is the fruit of Saṁsāra Bhāvana—one sees through the mirage, and the drama no longer pulls or pushes.

In Bhagavan Nityananda:

• He sat in silence amid chaos, noise, heat, or crowd.

• Once a man mocked Him, yet Bhagavan laughed softly, unaffected.

• He never reacted; He simply remained.

2. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Stopping leakage of energy through reactions such as joy, jealousy, fear, and mental disturbance)

This verse lists the main emotional Ashravas:

• Harṣa (elation) – the leaking upward energy from ego-based pleasure.

• Amarṣa (jealousy, indignation) – toxic comparison or wounded pride.

• Bhaya (fear) – root Ashrav from insecurity.

• Udvēga (anxiety/agitation) – the scattered flow of mental currents.

The true Bhakta is described as being freed from all these.

That means:

• No energy leakage.

• No mental deflection.

• Shakti conserved and centred.

Bhagavan Nityananda would often sit for hours unmoving, in inner absorption. Whether someone cried or danced before Him, He remained untouched, but deeply aware.

He once said:

“Be still. Everything will be done.”

Stillness here is the natural state after Ashrav is dissolved.

 Bhakta as a Calm Lake

The Bhakta is like a still lake:

• No waves, so nothing disturbs the reflection of the sky.

• The world drinks from such a lake, yet the lake does not deplete.

Such a Bhakta is described as:

• Unshaken

• Unshakable

• Unshaking

This is not indifference—it is radiant equipoise.

If yes, you’re entering the subtle domain of Sudha Bhāvana.

Bhagavan often showed this non-disturbing Bhāvana:

• He was like the eye of a cyclone—the calmest where the world spun the most.

• Devotees who came with mental storms left soothed, without Bhagavan even speaking.

This was not therapy—it was pure presence.

1. He by whom the world is not agitated (affected), and who cannot be agitated by the world, who is freed from joy, envy, fear and anxiety -he is dear to me.

Bhagavad Gita 12.16

अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः ।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥

Translation:
He who is free from wants, pure, efficient, unconcerned, untroubled, renouncing all undertakings—he who is thus devoted to Me, is dear to Me.

1. Saṁsāra Bhāvana

(Seeing the world as fundamentally impermanent and incapable of giving lasting joy)

The word “Anapekṣaḥ” – free from expectations or wants – indicates deep dispassion toward the world. Such a person knows that no possession, relationship, event, or success in the world is truly lasting.
Hence, no clinging.

Bhakta has withdrawn the energy of desire from Saṁsāra—not due to suppression, but due to understanding.

This is Bhagavan Nityananda’s essential state—completely desireless, even when surrounded by those asking for worldly boons.

2. Ashuchi Bhāvana

(Seeing the body and outer things as impure or incapable of holding permanent selfhood)

The term “Shuciḥ” (pure) here indicates internal cleanliness, not just ritual.
It means:

• The body is seen through—not clung to.

• The ego is seen through—not believed in.

• The mind is quiet—not cluttered with passions.

This is the outcome of Ashuchi Bhāvana:

When the body is no longer seen as “I” or “mine”, it becomes a tool, not a trap.

Bhagavan Nityananda’s body was unkempt, almost ascetic, yet radiant with the purity of no-doership. His purity was not bodily but of ego-free presence.

3. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Closing the pathways through which energy leaks outward—through speech, effort, overactivity, or desire)

Let’s focus on three terms in this verse:

• Dakṣaḥ – alert, efficient

• Udāsīnaḥ – uninvolved, neutral

• Sarvāram-bha-parityāgī – renouncer of all undertakings or “new karmas”

Each of these reflects refinement of energy:

• Dakṣaḥ: The Bhakta acts, but not wastefully. No leakage.

• Udāsīnaḥ: He doesn’t swing into joy or sorrow. No emotional leakage.

• Parityāgī: He doesn’t initiate actions with egoic agency. No karmic leakage.

These are the direct fruits of Ashrav Bhāvana—the one who conserves energy like a sealed pot, full of consciousness.

Bhagavan’s instructions were rare, precise, and not given in abundance. Silence was His method—no leakage, full presence.

4. Anyatva Bhāvana

(Seeing oneself as different from the body-mind and from the world of objects)

This verse speaks of detachment from identification:

• Not initiating new actions → not bound by ego

• Not disturbed by outcomes → not bound by reactions

This withdrawal of “I” and “mine” from the field of prakriti is Anyatva Bhāvana in action.

Such a Bhakta is in the world but not of it—he sees himself as apart from the body, emotions, and even thoughts.

Bhagavan used to sit unmoved even when chaos swirled around Him. Why?

Because He was not “in” the happening. He was the witness beyond doership—Nityaswaroopa.

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति ।
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥

Translation:
He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, who has renounced good and evil, such a devotee who is full of devotion is dear to Me.

1. Saṁsāra Bhāvana

(Contemplation on the restless, dualistic, and transient nature of worldly life)

This verse is entirely about transcending the disturbances of Saṁsāra:

• Rejoicing (hṛṣyati) when the world gives pleasure

• Hatred (dveṣṭi) when the world disappoints

• Grief (śocati) when the world separates or destroys

• Desire (kāṅkṣati) when the world tempts

These four are the fundamental waves of Saṁsāra. The devotee who remains undisturbed has deeply contemplated:

“This entire play of life is impermanent, like writing on water.”

He has lived Saṁsāra Bhāvana.

Bhagavan Nityananda:

• Whether someone insulted Him, offered Him fruit, or fell at His feet, He remained silent, unmoved, watching.

• He saw no difference between good and bad—just patterns in Prakriti.

2. Ashuchi Bhāvana

(Contemplating the impure, perishable nature of body and worldly identity)

This Bhāvana helps dissolve attachment to the mind-body apparatus that reacts:

• “I am feeling grief.”

• “I am enjoying.”

• “I am angry.”

When one sees the false centre of identification, reactions lose their grip.

“All these are play of gunas in the body-mind. Not Me.”

This inner disidentification is Ashuchi Bhāvana—rejecting identification with what is not the Self.

Bhagavan Nityananda:

• Once, when a young boy cried in fear in front of Him, Bhagavan touched him and said:

“Kya re? Yeh sab shareer ka khel hai. Tu to kuch nahi.”
(“What is this? All this is the body’s play. You are none of this.”)

3. Ashrav Bhāvana

(Cutting the subtle channels through which energy leaks—emotions, attachments, karmic tendencies)

Each of the following is an Ashrav:

• Hṛṣya (elation) = energy leaks upward into pride.

• Dveṣa (hatred) = downward leakage into heat/aggression.

• Śoka (grief) = stagnation, suppression.

• Kāṅkṣā (desire) = restlessness, craving.

These drain the chitta-shakti, making meditation impossible.

The devotee who is free from them has performed Ashrav Bhāvana and become like a sealed, full pot—concentrated energy and pure flame.

4. Ekatva Bhāvana

(Realising unity with the Divine; non-duality between self and other, joy and sorrow, praise and blame)

Only one who feels Oneness with all beings and sees no “other” can transcend these dual reactions.

“Rejoicing and grief exist only where a second exists.”

The devotee in this verse:

• Is rooted in Ekatva, hence:

  • does not rejoice (no separate ego to please),

  • does not grieve (no separate “me” to hurt),

  • does not hate (no “other” to fight),

  • does not crave (no imagined absence).

He sees all as Self, or as God’s Will.

Bhagavan Nityananda:

Bhagavan’s eyes held no separation:

• He once said to a devotee, “Sab ek hai. Tereko dikhta nahi.”
  (“All is One. You don’t see it.”)

His actions arose from that Oneness, not from personal will or preference.

• The devotee is not dry—but devoid of reactions, full of devotion.

• He is not indifferent—but equally present in all states.

• His Bhakti is not sentimental—it is rooted in Tattva (Truth).

This is the state Bhagavan Nityananda radiated by mere presence—drawing thousands into stillness, not through sermons but through vibrationless being.

Bhagavad Gita 12.20

ये तु धर्म्यामृतम् इदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते ।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥

Translation:
Those devotees who follow this immortal Dharma, just as described, with faith, making Me their supreme goal — they are exceedingly dear to Me.

Saṁsāra Bhāvana — Deep realisation of the fleeting nature of worldly existence, which leads one to seek the Imperishable.
Ekatva Bhāvana — Realising the Self as one with the Supreme, dissolving all dualities.
Āsharana Bhāvana — (Implied) – Total refuge in the Supreme.
Sudha Bhāvana — (Implicit culmination) – The purest heart, free of dualities and reactions, whose faith is unmixed.

“Dharmyamritam idam” — This Immortal Dharma

This “Dharma” is not merely a rule-based religion — it is the eternal nature of the Self. It is called Amritam — immortal nectar — because it:

• Leads the sadhaka away from Samsara (transience),

• Into the unbroken stillness and joy of the Supreme.

Hence, this is clearly rooted in Saṁsāra Bhāvana — the detachment born from seeing all worldly joys and sorrows as impermanent and insufficient. Only the Supreme Self is worthy of pursuit.

“That which dies cannot be My support. I must seek that which is deathless — Dharma as Eternal.”

 “Shraddadhanaḥ” — Endowed with Shraddha (Faith)

Shraddha is not mere belief. It is the certainty born of inner clarity, a recognition of the Truth, even if not yet fully realised.
Faith is the first fragrance of Sudha Bhāvana.

It is here that the devotee stays the course, despite lack of experience, outer confirmation, or recognition. This is the unwavering faith of the Yogi who sees the impermanent world (Samsāra) but still proceeds steadily.

 “Mat-Paramaḥ” — Having Me as the Supreme Goal

This points to Ekatva Bhāvana in its matured state:

• The devotee sees no other pursuit as meaningful.

• All efforts, sadhana, service, silence — are for reaching that One Purusha who resides both within and beyond.

• There is no duality in their heart anymore — they have chosen and surrendered.

As Bhagavan Nityananda hinted, “Nijarupa Bhajana karo.” Worship the True Self, the Supreme Goal.

“Te ativā me priyāḥ” — They are exceedingly dear to Me

Krishna doesn’t merely say they are “dear” — He says they are “Ativa Priyaḥ” — exceedingly beloved. Why?

Because:

• They have crossed ego and duality (Anyatva Bhāvana),

• Are resting in Oneness (Ekatva Bhāvana),

• Have no separate will (Āsharana Bhāvana),

• Have embraced the purest inner attitude (Sudha Bhāvana).

Bhagavan Nityananda’s Sudha Bhāvana & This Verse:

Bhagavan never asked people to perform rituals or join sects — He simply guided devotees inward:

“Shuddh Maan paida karo” — Cultivate a pure mind.

He knew that if the mind is:

• Free of duality (friend-foe, joy-sorrow),

• Full of shraddha,

• Anchored in the Supreme Self,

then, naturally, Bhakti becomes the Dharma — the Sanatana Dharma.

Such a devotee lives in the world but does not belong to it. He or she is no longer a wanderer in Samsāra, but a knower of Amrit-Dharma.

Summary Table for Verse 12.20

This verse is not only the end of the chapter, it is the beginning of a Yogi’s true Bhakti:

• Not emotional worship, but Jnana-Bhakti rooted in the Pure Mind.

• The Bhakta sees no second, acts without ego, and rests in Sudha Bhāvana.

He or she lives in awareness of Nityata (Eternity), no longer bound by Samsara.

1. He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in honour and dishonour, who is the same in cold and heat and in pleasure and pain, who is free from attachment…
2. They indeed, who follow this ‘Immortal DHARMA’ (Law of Life) as described above, endowed with faith, regarding Me as their Supreme Goal — such devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.

 

Bhavana

How to Cultivate Sudha Bhavana?

Sudha Bhavana Part-II

Sudha Bhavana – Part-I The Making of a Yogi!

Sudha Bhavana, the Chakras, and the Awakening of Kundalini