By Sri Nandanandana dasa
This is an important point, that humanity's search for happiness does not rely on catering to the needs of the body as much as it does on the realization of and attaining unity with God: O yogis, unite the soul with God and enjoy happiness. Always expand the delight of salvation [spiritual liberation]. Employ your acts of devotion, and arteries full of breath [prana], in the worship of God. Having thus purified the mind, sow the seed of knowledge in it through yoga. May we soon acquire the fruit of all yogas. May we, through God's grace, obtain the mature fruit of pure joy. Yogic functions act like sickles in allaying [cutting down] sufferings. May they be endowed with peace and prosperity. Practice union with God through them. (Atharva 3.17.2) However, who can actually attain this knowledge, this happiness and freedom from miseries through unity with God? Only a devotee, obviously, because without a receptive consciousness, a doubter remains cut off from the means of spiritual realization. A devotee alone beholds that Highest God, who lies hidden in the inmost recesses of the heart, in whom this whole universe remains in one form and fashion. From Him hath matter milked life and brought into existence many objects. The learned who know God, extol Him in a respectable way. (Atharva 2.1.1)