[Advaita-l] jnAna-karma samuccaya

[Bhaskar YR]

If these upAsanA-s will not be sufficient to attain comprehensive 
understanding
of nirguNa brahma and build a strong bond with saguNa brahma, I might have
missed something in my study ...

praNAms
Hare Krishna

Yes, upAsana-s of Ishtadevata would build a strong bond with saguNa brahma 
and the phala (drushtAdrushta)  of this upAsana-s also depends upon the 
attributes of this 'upAsya brahma'...So, results would be different from 
one upAsya brahma and another upAsya brahma...Moreover, upAsana is 
'chOdana tantra' and purusha tantra...whereas jnAna phala is ONE and the 
same and it would result in 'mukti' here in this very life...whereas 
saguNOpAsa would lead to krama-mukti...shankara makes this clear in sUtra 
bhAshya : tatra kAnichit brahmaN upAsanAni abhudayArthAni, kAnichit 
kramamukthyarthAni, kAnichit karma smrutddhyarthAni, teshAM 
guNavisheshOpAdhi bhedena bhedaH, eka eva tu paramAtmA IshwaraH 
traistairguNavisheshairvishishtaH upAsyO yadyapi bhavati, tathApi 
yathAguNOpAsanameva phalAni bhidyante... and elsewhere shankara also 
confirms that : nAmAdishu prateekOpAsaneshu pUrvasmAt pUrvasmAt phala 
visheshaM uttarasmin uttarasmin upAsane darshayati...

In short, upAsana is a sort of spiritual practice with upAsya, upAsaka, 
upAsana bheda and it is 'purusha tantra sAdhana (chOdanAtantra) and the 
end result of this is not the same as 'vastu tantra' jnAna...

But for the manda, madhyama adhikAri-s like us ishta devatA upAsana, 
ArAdhana etc. are indispensable to get the required chitta shuddhi to 
pursue the jnAna mArga.

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar