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The Inevitability of Yoga, Its Subordinate and / or Its Prominent Nature According to Vāllabha Vedānta:
In the Bhāgavata Purā a, the three means (sādhanās) namely karma (Vedic rituals), jCana (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion) are accepted as yogas and nothing other than these is accepted as means that can lead to the ultimate goal.
Yogās trayo mayā proktā noo am śreyo vidhitsayā. janam karma ca bhaktiś ca nopāyo'nyo 'sti kutracit.. nirvir ) lānām j Canayogo nyasinām iha karmasu. tew anirvi) acittānām karmayogastu kāminām .. yad.cchayā matkathādau jātaśraddhas tu ya /pumān. na nirvir)b nätisakto bhaktiyogo'sya siddhidal."
In this context, if we look into the characteristics of the three competent practitioners of yoga as has been described, it appears that independent yoga-sādhanā is not required for any of these competent / entitled person. However, Mahāprabhu Śrī Vallabhācārya has explained some of the means of salvation / the highest goal in his works namely Tattvārthadīpanibandha and Bālabodha. That is as follows:
- Mokoa / The Highest Goal
Vedādi-prama le catuozayopadi.qa
Ardgamopadi ea = Taught in the Āgamas handed down from the trend
of the lois.
Taught in the Quadra-cognitive means starting with the Sruti / the Vedas etc.
Parata
a) ni käma-śrauta-karma-labhya =
Svata Available through the Vedic rituals performed without aiming at any worldly result b) Aupani ad Brahma-j[lana-labhya = | (a) Available through the knowledge of Sãockhyāgamopadi«zathe Brahman taught in the Upani-ads. märgata /= through the
path as has been taught in
Sãockhya āgama. c) Aupani ad Brahma-vi cayaka- (b) Yogāgamopadia- bhakti labhya =
märgata /= through the Available through the devotion of the path as has been taught in Brahman taught in the Upani.ads. Yoga agama.
(a) Saivāgamopadiopamārgata /= through the path as has been taught in Saiva āgama. (b) Vai lavaāgamopadi.namärgata /= through the path as has been taught in Vai. ava āgama.
We can see that there are only three ways / means for getting mokoa (salvation) as stated in the four cognitive systems (pramā las) starting with the Veda. The yogic system has been incorporated into these three as subordinate and the interesting fact is that these three therefore, are named in Śrīmad-Bhagavad Gītā as 'Karma-yoga', 'Jina-yoga' and 'Bhaktiyoga' instead of just 'karma', 'jCana' and 'bhakti'. It is somehow wrongly presumed by majority of scholars that there is only one way / means i.e. bhakti-marga being accepted for
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