Page 43 - Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 21st Century ISBN

21oha “krkCnh esa vkpk;Z fouksck Hkkos dh izklafxdrk

whether the seed precedes the fruit or vice-versa, so also it cannot be asserted whether the abandonment
of desires leads to vkRen”kZu or vice-versa.
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Lastly, what I find amazing, is Vinoba’s analysis of the term ‘pfjr’ since all desires and
passions are given up, he is in tune with his happiness within. The source of his happiness does not lie

outside but inside and he is ever-blessed. It is also pointed out by Vinoba that ‘pfjr’ is an intransitive
verb involving no reference to the world of objects.However, it does not mean that Sthitaprajna has

no contact with the external world. “fopjsfoÜogksÅuh I fo”okekth II” means identifying himself with the
world, he explores into it. Here, Vinoba adds that knowing the Real, his behaviour in the world is

dualistic. Emotionally, he is with everyone but actually with none. These three phases are said to be
intimately related and mutually supportive. Hence, without contradiction, Vinoba asserts the stage of
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three-in-one. This is, in his own words, “fLFkrçKkphf=lw=h” i.e. three aphorisms of Sthitaprajna
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culminating in Oneness “HkkokoLFksrlexzrk fØ;koLFksrfoosd ” means while performing day today
activities, he is dualistic in the sense he doesdiscriminatebetween, say, subject and object but feels
oneness with one and all and strictly speaking, he is the one who has realized that all this is Leela/sport/
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kreeda/game and he does not belong to anyone nor does anyone belong to him. He is ever-free,
ever-pure, ever-enlightened soul which, like water moves freely. (mndkusys] frdMstkos) Vinoba, therefore,

calls him God in miniature. God is hardly perceptible but Sthitaprajna is. In action, he is pure, good
(“kqHk). In feeling, he is nothing but the Universe.(fo”o) and in knowledge, he is Brahman-beyond good

and evil.
III

Here, Vinoba reminds us of “vkse~ rRlr~” where ‘Sat’is a noun having ‘Aum’and ‘Tat’ as
adjectives. ‘Aum’ stands for all-pervading principle of God to be meditated by us, ordinary people, in

emotional state. ‘Tat’ refers to the Knowledge of Nirguna Brahman and ‘Sat’ refers to Action of
service (lsouh;) It shows that the concept of Sthitaprajna is based on Devotion. Manifestation of

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Sthitaprajna is the conquering of senses. (ftrsafnz;rk). Self-control, at times, seems to be difficult, if
not impossible. At such time, Prayer and worship are necessary which are not to be used for accruing

material benefits. Thus, he tends to lose individual will which, assuming wider social form, merges into
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the Divine Will. Such a soul should lead the society. The society needs such Leadership . Realizing the
ability of such leaders, many Business schools have incorporated the Bhagavadgita in their curricula.

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However, what usually goes unnoticed is the theory of Emotions and Feelings as presented in

Sthitaprajna-darshana by Vinoba. He maintains emphatically that
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‘xhrsrhyHkkoukgkeukpkfodkjulwuân;kpkxq.kvkgs ’ i. e. Feeling,in the Gita, is not to be seen as modification

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