Transcend The Dvandvas

Transcend The Dvandvas

by Swami Sivananda

Union with God is the goal of this human life. It is the be-all and end-all of our existence. It is the summum bonum of life. This can be achieved by following the path of Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga or Karma Yoga.

Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion or the path of affection that is suitable for people of devotional temperament, in whom the love-element preponderates. Women are fit for this Bhakti Yoga Marga as affection predominates in them. Raja Yoga is suited to men of mystic temperament. Some are fond of acquiring Siddhis (powers). They can take up this path. Jnana is the path of Vedanta. Men of rational temperament with reasoning power, strong individual thinking and bold reasoning can take up this path. Those who have an active temperament can follow the path of Karma Yoga.

Bhakti Yoga is suitable for the vast majority of devotees. Generally there is a mixture of devotional and intellectual temperaments in all men. Some are purely devotional. Some are purely intellectual. One can realise through selfless Karma Yoga also. Karma Yoga purifies the mind (Chitta Suddhi) and prepares the aspirant for Jnana Yoga. People of active temperament should take up Karma Yoga. Bhakti is also classified as mental Karma. It comes under Karma Yoga. Raja Yoga is also a form of Bhakti Yoga. In Bhakti Yoga the devotee does absolute self-surrender to the Lord. A Raja Yogi has subtle egoism. The Bhakta depends upon the Lord. He is extremely humble. A Raja Yogi exerts and asserts. He is of Svatantra type (independent). Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga are not incompatibles like acid and alkali. One can combine one-pointed devotion with Jnana Yoga. The fruit of Bhakti Yoga is Jnana. Highest love (Para Bhakti) and Jnana are one. Perfect knowledge is love. Perfect love is knowledge.

Sri Sankara, a Kevala Advaita Jnani, was a great Bhakta of Lord Hari, Hara and Devi. Jnana Dev of Alandi, Poona, a great Yogi, was a Bhakta of Lord Krishna. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa worshipped Kali and got Jnana through Swami Totapuri, his Advaita Guru. Lord Gouranga of Bengal was a great Advaita Vedantic scholar and yet he danced in the streets and market-places singing the Names of Hari. Appaya Dikshita, a famous Jnani of Adaiyapalam, North Arcot District, the author of Siddhanta Lesha and various other Vedantic books, was a devotee of Lord Siva.

It behoves therefore that Bhakti can be combined with much advantage with Jnana. Raja Yoga aims in controlling all thought-waves or mental modifications. The second Sutra in Yoga Darshan of Patanjali Maharishi in the first chapter reads:

Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodhah.

“Yoga is the restraint of mental modifications.”

This is the definition of Raja Yoga according to Patanjali Maharishi. Sri Jnana Dev, Goraknath, Raja Bhartrihari and Sadasiva Brahman were all Raja Yogis of great repute and glory.

Bhakti is a means to the end. It gives purity of mind. It removes Vikshepa (tossing of the mind) Sakamya Bhakti (devotion with expectation) brings Svarga and Brahmaloka for the devotee (Uttamaloka Prapti). Nishkamya Bhakti (love without expectation of fruits) brings Chitta Suddhi and through the purity of the mind the aspirant gets Jnana.

Transcend The Dvandvas – Rising Above Opposites with Inner Balance

Transcend The Dvandvas is a spiritual teaching that guides a person to rise above the pairs of opposites that constantly affect human life. These opposites include pleasure and pain, success and failure, praise and blame, heat and cold, gain and loss, honor and insult. Ordinary life keeps moving between these two sides, and the mind usually reacts strongly to both. When pleasure comes, we become attached. When pain comes, we become disturbed. This constant reaction creates mental bondage.

Human beings naturally seek comfort and avoid discomfort. This is understandable, but the problem begins when the mind becomes completely dependent on favorable conditions. If happiness depends only on success, praise, comfort, and gain, then peace will always remain unstable. Life does not promise that everything will happen according to our wishes. Therefore, wisdom means learning how to remain steady in changing situations.

Transcend The Dvandvas means developing inner strength so that outer conditions do not easily control the mind. It does not mean becoming emotionless or careless. A wise person still feels joy, pain, love, and concern, but they do not lose balance completely. They understand that every experience is temporary. Happiness passes, sorrow passes, praise passes, and criticism also passes. The one who remembers this truth becomes more peaceful.

The mind usually exaggerates both pleasure and pain. When something good happens, it thinks, “This must never end.” When something difficult happens, it thinks, “This will never end.” Both thoughts are false. Life is movement. No condition stays forever. Understanding this helps reduce attachment during good times and despair during hard times.

Transcend The Dvandvas does not ask us to reject life. It asks us to live with awareness. A person should perform duties, love others, work sincerely, and accept responsibilities, but without becoming a slave to every result. Success should not create pride, and failure should not create hopelessness. Praise should not make one arrogant, and blame should not destroy self-respect.

This teaching is very practical in daily life. Suppose someone insults us. The ordinary reaction may be anger, revenge, or sadness. But if the mind is trained, we can pause and observe the situation. Is the criticism useful? If yes, we can learn from it. If it is false, we can remain calm and let it pass. This kind of response shows maturity and self-control.

To Transcend The Dvandvas, one must practice detachment. Detachment does not mean lack of love or effort. It means freedom from emotional slavery. A detached person can work hard without anxiety, love deeply without possessiveness, and face difficulty without losing faith. Detachment makes action cleaner and the heart lighter.

Another important practice is self-observation. We should watch how the mind reacts to opposites. What happens when someone praises us? What happens when someone ignores us? What happens when we gain something? What happens when we lose something? This observation reveals our attachments. Once we see them clearly, we can begin to reduce their power.

Transcend The Dvandvas also requires control over desire. Desire makes the mind run toward pleasure and away from pain. When desire is uncontrolled, even small discomfort feels unbearable. But when desire is disciplined, the mind becomes stronger. Simple living, moderation, patience, and contentment help reduce unnecessary dependence on outer conditions.

Meditation is a powerful support on this path. In meditation, a person learns to watch thoughts and feelings without immediately reacting. This practice creates inner space. Slowly, the person understands that thoughts come and go, emotions rise and fall, and experiences change, but awareness remains steady. This awareness becomes the foundation of peace.

A person who wants to Transcend The Dvandvas should also practice even-mindedness in action. Work should be done sincerely, but the mind should not become overly attached to the result. When results are favorable, gratitude should arise. When results are unfavorable, learning should arise. In both cases, inner balance should be protected.

Spiritual wisdom teaches that the true self is deeper than pleasure and pain. The body may feel heat and cold. The mind may experience joy and sorrow. The ego may feel honor and insult. But the deeper awareness within us remains untouched. Real peace begins when we stop identifying completely with every changing experience and begin to rest in that inner awareness.

This does not happen in one day. The habit of reacting to opposites is old and strong. A person may lose balance many times. But every moment of awareness is progress. Every time we choose patience over anger, humility over pride, and steadiness over emotional disturbance, we move closer to freedom.

In the end, Transcend The Dvandvas is a call to live with courage, wisdom, and inner stability. Life will continue to bring both comfort and discomfort, gain and loss, joy and sorrow. We cannot stop all changes, but we can train the mind to remain peaceful within them. The person who rises above these opposites becomes free, balanced, and truly strong.

Karma Nishtha