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Introduction
the two groups. They insist upon the truthfulness of their own viewpoint. He feels compassionate that the people are holding such one-sided views. The next two stanzas define the characteristics of the lifeless ritualists and the bare knowledge persons.
BOBO
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બાહ્ય ક્રિયામાં રાચતા, અંતર્ભેદ ન કાંઈ; જ્ઞાનમાર્ગ નિષેધતા, તેહ ક્રિયાજડ આઈ.
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Bähya Kriyämän Rächatän, Antarbhed Na Känyi;
Jnän Märga Nishedhatän, Teh Kriyajad Änyi.
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Lifeless ritualists are those, who cherish the external rituals without inner discrimination and reject the path of knowledge. (4)
Explanation & Discussion: Here Shrimad describes the characteristics of lifeless ritualists. Those, who rely merely upon rituals and cherish in performing them without keeping in view their purpose, are lifeless ritualists. The term ritual connotes religious formality. The activities undertaken by the laymen as their daily routine, e.g. going to the temple, performing Poojan, performing Samayik, Pratikraman, etc. become mechanical, because they do not have the true concept for undertaking the same; they are undertaken without understanding their significance and meaning. Most of them have wrong notion about these activities. They remain under the impression that their activities will remove the impact of Karmas and lead them to liberation.
It should be noted that rituals are not to be rejected. They are meant to benefit the average aspirants and beginners. There is therefore no reason to denigrate the importance
