INTRODUCTION: Most people think that there are many paths available for reaching God. It is said by them, that just as there can be several routes to reach the top of a hill, there are different ways to reach God. They suggest that a seeker may choose a particular path which is best suited to him. A student of Raj-Yoga would do well to examine this proposition as also to have a broad understanding of these paths for the purpose of a comparative study and evaluation.

The very idea that realizing God is like reaching a hill-top, betrays complete ignorance on the part of those who sermonize so about God and His functions. This presupposes that man should first become purified by his own effort and when such purification is achieved, he would attain God. It is just like someone admonishing a patient lying on death-bed to regain normal health through his own effort and then go and meet the doctor. This is preposterous. God incarnates on this earth precisely to purify the souls, uplift them to their original state and take them to their original abode ‘Paramdham". That is why God is remembered by all as the Supreme Preceptor (Satguru) Liberator, Guide, Bestower of Salvation and Fruition (Mukti and Jeewan-Mukti) and Redeemer of the sinful. It is He who guides the souls, by imparting knowledge and teaching Raj-Yoga to attain liberation, from all the bodily bondages through their own efforts. God is one and the true path for purification and liberation of human souls is also one, which is revealed by God Himself. The fundamental truth to remember is that God alone is all-knowledgeful and therefore He alone can reveal the whole truth about Himself and His creation. No human being is capable of doing this. All human souls, due to their several basic limitations, cannot perceive God and His creation in a comprehensive manner. It is, therefore, no wonder that numerous man-made paths have been propounded for God-realisation. This ignorance has caused great confusion and the multiplicity of so-called theories on God has made the confusion worse.

Since different paths of spiritual pursuit are being followed by different people, it may be worth-while for an aspirant to have a general idea about them.

The path of Sanyas (renunciation) was started by Adi-Shankaracharya in Dwapur Yuga, (copper Age) and continued by his followers who renounced the world and dedicated heir lives in pursuit of God through penance and prayer. Originally, Sanyas was taken in good faith for the attainment of God. The sanyasis ie. the followers of this path took strict vow of celibacy and renounced family life. The idea of leaving the worldly possessions is preached in most religions.

In early years, sanyasis did get some inner strength from the ‘celibate’ and disciplined lives they led. That discipline did have a sobering effect on the general populace, which had become body-conscious and indulgent. People were automatically attracted by their power of celibacy and offered them food and other necessities of life out of respect for their purity. Today, as life has become vicious, sanyas too has been infected by this all- pervading evil of vices. The old power of Sanyasis no longer exists, and instead of retreating further into forests, sanyasis are now moving into cities. Modern sanyasis are rolling in wealth and living in luxury in palatial houses. A man taking to sanyas dons saffron robes, deserts his hearth and home, leaves his family destitute and goes to the jungles. He disowns all responsibility towards his parents, family and society. While he seeks peace for himself in the forests, his wife and children live as orphans. His own subsistence is also on charity from others and that is why sanyasis are at times branded as social parasites.

The path of Sanyas is known as "Nivritti Marg". Nivritti means renunciation of actions. Sanyasis run away from their duties and obligations. Those who lead normal worldly life belong to the ‘Pravritti Marg’. Pravritti means active participation in life and due discharge of one’s duties and obligations to the society. A married man who follows the pravritti path cannot legitimately be a follower of a sanyasi who follows the Nivritti pattern of existence. To follow a sanyasi would mean taking to sanyas and transferring oneself from Pravritti to Nivritti. Hordes of family men claim themselves to be the followers of one sanyasi or the other--Is this not a paradox?

The lotus flower, in Hindu Mythology, symbolises true Sanyas which means renunciation of vices. The lotus flower keeps itself above the water surface and remains unaffected by the surrounding mud and weeds. God Shiva says that the ideal human life should also be the same ie. to lead of life of purity while living in the family. In other words, one has to remain unaffected by the five vices, namely sex-lust, anger, attachment, greed and ego while performing the daily chores of life. It is the vices that are to be renounced and not hearth and home. The lotus is a symbol of the pure Pravritti path. That is why it is shown as one of the adornments of Vishnu, the subtle Deity who represents combined form of Shri Lakshmi and Shri Narayan--symbolising the pure Pravritti path.

The path of worship or Bhakti includes all the customs, rites, religious practices, modes of prayer in all parts of the world. The philosophies contained in different scriptures of various religions are also a part of the Bhakti cult. Bhakti started in Dwapur (copper Age). People took to Bhakti in the absence of true Godly knowledge. It began with the worship of ‘Shiva Linga’, the oval-shaped image symbolising the incorporeal God Shiva. Worship of God Father Shiva is known as ‘Avyabhichari’ Bhakti, meaning unadulterated worship of one God.

In Kaliyug other idols and images were introduced, Bhakti got diversified. This Bhakti is known as ‘Vyabhichari’ Bhakti-- meaning worship of several Gods in the form of idols and images. When the souls of religious founders descended from Paramdham and founded their respective religious, they were also included in the list of worship-worthy personalities. Later on, preceptors (Gurus) and saints were also included. Many people today worship even objects of nature like sun, moon, mountains, rivers, fires, trees and plants etc. The scriptures or the holy books are also worshipped. Nothing seems to have been excluded from the list of revered beings and things worthy of worship and adoration. With the passage of time, every religion degenerates into rituals and dogmas. The main intention behind every ritual is to act as a reminder of God at proper intervals. But today, the original philosophy has been relegated to the background and rituals have come in the forefront. There has been a growth of fanaticism and the emergence of priestly order who primarily perform the rites and religious ceremonies for some material gain. The ardent believers think that religion is the only way to salvation and they are busy all the while in the performance of age-old rites and rituals. They may be well versed in scriptures and the ceremonial aspect of religion, but are lacking in the attainment of practical spirituality.

Despite all the good principles of Bhakti, man has kept getting away from God. In spite of all the study of scriptures, emergence of several peceptors (Gurus), worship, pilgrimages, sacrifices, austerities etc., man’s actions have not improved but suffered continous deterioration. Bhakti does not expiate past sins. Through successive re-births, the burden of sins goes on increasing. The role of Bhakti has at best been to reduce the speed of human degradation. Bhakti cannot improve karmas, it only slows down the rate of their deterioration.

Towards the end of Kaliyuga, Bhakti Cult degenerates to such an extent that it is utilised as a means to earn money. The priestly class or the preceptors (gurus) make the devotees perform various rituals by giving them either the lure of ‘boons’ or the fear of ‘curses’. Most devotees throng at well-known holy places from far and near just to have a glimpse of some ‘guru’. They have been made to believe that even a glimpse (darshan) of great personalities is rewarding. In all such cases the poor devotee has to part with a good lot of his hard earned money, while he gets almost nothing in return. When things come to such a pass—at the fag end of Kaliyuga that God Father Shiva comes to the rescue of His devotees. He explodes the myth of ‘boons’ and ‘curses’

Bhakti starts in Copper Age (Dwapur Yuga) and lasts upto the end of Iron Age (Kaliyuga). Its duration consists of a total period of 2500 years, and represents the period of spiritual degeneration of mankind. All this has happened because, in the absence of true Godly knowledge people caught anything they found handy to pin their faith on ‘in the name of God’. Bhakti is primarily a search for God and not communion with God. In his search of God, man has embraced many religions, followed many paths and employed various forms of worship. Basically, all religions preach Bhakti i.e. worship and prayer in one form or the other. But as already explained, God is not achieved by this process.

People generally believe that the path of Godly knowledge means search for God through the scriptures. But God Shiva has now revealed that the study of scriptures is also a part of the Bhakti Cult. Throughout the duration of Bhakti the scriptures have existed but man has neither attained God nor achieved Divinity. God Father Shiva declares that He is not attainable through the knowledge of scriptures. The path of true knowledge, therefore, actually consists of Godly knowledge as revealed by God Father Shiva Himself.

The true Godly knowledge is basically different from Bhakti or various religions, which are based on knowledge expounded by the human religious leaders from time to time. God Shiva imparts true knowledge about Himself and His creation which includes knowledge of the souls, the three worlds, world-drama-its beginning, duration and cyclic repetition, heaven and Hell, Raj-Yoga, Laws of Karma and everything else that He, the Supreme Father-cum-Teacher-cum-Preceptor, considers necessary for the total purification of souls.

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