________________ - lloc immanent in human souls. 4) kriya or the performance of five-fold religious duty which will provide inner mental strength. 5) kalyana or development of ethical virtues such as honesty, integrity, compassion, benevolence, non-violence etc which will give inner purity. 6) anavasada or freedom from despair due to disappointments and unexpected calamities. 7) anuddharsa or not to be overpowered by excessive joy so that tranquility of the mind is not disturbed. The Vedanta-sutra, based on the text of the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad also refers to the need of the development of virtues as an aid to upasana, such as sama or calmness, dama or control of senses, uparati or inner satisfaction, titiksu or patience and samahitatva or equanimity28. in addition to the ethical discipline, the upasaka embarking on birakii-yoga is required to perform without fail, all the nitya and naimittika karmas or the religious duties laid down as obligatory by the sacred texts purely for the pleasure of God. As taught in the Bhagavd-gita, he should also observe karma-yoga or the performance of prescribed religious acts without any attachments to the deeds and also to the results accruing from it, purely as a divine service for the pleasure of God. On the strength of these teachings of the Upanisads and the Gita, Ramanuja emphasizes that under no circumstances the upasaka should give up the performance of prescribed religious duties and that these have to be observed for the lifetime until the upasana is successfully completed, until the attainment of the Supreme Goal. Thus karma-yoga and jnana-yoga taught in the Bhagavad-gita become an essential anga or subordinate means to bhakti-yoga. The word manana or dhyana stated as one of the three features of bhakti-yoga, covers not merely the eight-fold yoga discipline, but also the observance of karma-yoga and also jnana-yoga. Dhyana, which may be appropriately termed as dhyana-yoga is primarily a mental act (manasa) in the form of unceasing loving meditation on Paramatman. The other two features of bhakti-yoga viz. yajana implied by the word madyaji and namaskara 28 V.S. 111-4-27-samadamady-upetasyat... See also Br. Up. IV-4-23 tasmat evam vit santo danta uparitah titiksuh samahito bhutva atmanyeva atmanam pasvaly pasyet -- -
