Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12
(Compiled notes)
Note: This is a series of study notes from the translation of Bhagavad Gita by Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada (ISKCON founder) and titled as "Bhagvad Gita as it is". The copyright and content is that of Prabhupada & publishers. My part is simply distilling the knowledge from my self study and notes to share here in simple abridged form.
Bhakti Yoga - Yoga of Devotional Service
-
12.1 - Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided into two classes. One is the impersonalist, and the other is the personalist. Those who worship the Supreme Lord directly by devotional service are called personalists. Those who engage themselves in meditation on the impersonal Brahman energy of the Lord are called impersonalists.
-
In this verse, Sri Arjuna asks which path of spiritual practice is better - personal or impersonal?
-
The answer to above question is provided by the Lord in 12.2.
-
12.2 - श्रीभगवानुवाच:
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते । श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मता: ॥ २ ॥
The Supreme personality of Godhead said "Those who worship Me in personal form with fixed mind are superior."
The reason for the above is indicated in 12.5 below..
-
12.5 - क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् । अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दु:खं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥ ५ ॥
The spiritual progress is hard and longer for impersonalists as it more complicated in this material world.
-
Q: How do the various Yoga paths of spiritualism compare to each other?
-
A: The ans is in 12.12:
-
12:12: श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते । ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥ १२ ॥
Better than Gyan yoga is Dhyan Yoga path. Better than Dhyan is Renunciation of results of Karma as devotion.
-
Gyan < Dhyan < Karma < Devotion
In other words, Lord advises that devotional path of Yoga is the best path to reach Him as it is the simplest & quickest.
Devotional service is essentially an unconditional Love for the Lord and Love being the simplest yet strongest feeling a spirit can feel, it can be understood and practiced by every soul.
The Lord confirms the superiority of Bhakti Yoga (because its dearest to Him) in 12.20 again.
-
12.20 - ये तु धर्मामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते । श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रिया: ॥ २० ॥
Those who follow path of Bhakti Yoga with devotion and sincerity are very dear to Me.
My chosen verse from this chapter:
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मता: ॥ 12.2 ॥
Those who worship Me in personal form with fixed mind are superior.
This verse asserts the superiority of Bhakti Yoga path over other yogic paths to attain spiritual salvation. This is because other paths are more tedious to practice. Especially, the spiritual progress is hard and longer for impersonalists as it more complicated in this material world. Instead the simple thing to do for devotees (ie in Bhakti yoga) is to surrender to the Lord and executed the prescribed duties in a loving service attitude to the Lord. Love being the simplest and yet the most powerful feeling in the universe, that even lower species of life can understand it to some degree so what to speak of humans and the supreme person.
