As
sādhaks
advance on the spiritual path, within their minds their relationship with God becomes stronger. At that time, they find the Vedic rituals they were previously performing to be cumbersome and time consuming. They then wonder whether they are obliged to keep performing the rituals, along with their devotion, and if they reject the ritual and dedicate themselves fully to their
sādhanā
, will they be committing an offense? Such people will find the answer to their doubt in this verse. Shree Krishna says that to be fixed in
sādhanā
without being allured to the fruitive sections of the Vedas is not an offence; rather, it is a higher spiritual state.
Madhavendra Puri, the famous 14th century sage, states this sentiment very emphatically. He was a Vedic Brahmin and used to engage in extensive ritualistic practices, but then took to
sanyās
(the renounced order), and engaged wholeheartedly in devotion to Shree Krishna. In his later life, he wrote
sandhyā vandana bhadramastu bhavate bhoḥ snāna tubhyaṁ namaḥ
bho devāḥ pitaraśhchatarapaṇa vidhau nahaṁ kṣhamaḥ kṣhamyatām
yatra kvāpi niṣhadya yādava kulottaasya kansadviṣhaḥ
smāraṁ smāramaghaṁ harāmi tadalaṁ manye kimanyena me
[v46]
“I wish to apologize to all kinds of rituals as I have no time to respect them. So dear
Sandhyā Vandan
(a set of rituals performed thrice daily by those who have received the sacred thread), holy baths, sacrifices to the celestial gods, offerings to the ancestors, etc. please excuse me. Now, wherever I sit, I remember the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna, the enemy of Kansa, and that is sufficient to release me from material bondage.”
Shree Krishna uses the word
samādhāv-achalā
in this verse, to refer to the state of steadfastness in divine consciousness. The word
Samādhi
has been formed from the roots
sam
(equilibrium) and
dhi
(intellect), meaning, “a state of total equilibrium of the intellect.” One who is steadfast in the higher consciousness, unmoved by material allurements attains that state of
Samādhi
, or perfect Yog.