Chapter 12

by Iswari, posted in Chapter Summaries

Bhakti-Yoga

Way of the Devotee

The topics covered in this Chapter are:

  1. Difficulty/Inaccessibility of the path of worship of Divine as Supreme, Un-manifest (Nirgunopaasana) to gain Knowledge.
  2. Ease of the path of worship of visible, manifest forms of the Divine (Sagunopaasana) to gain Knowledge.
  3. Methods of practice with degrees of greater ease to reach to the goal of Knowledge.
  4. Qualities to be acquired by a devotee (Bhakta).

BACKGROUND

SriKrishna has repeatedly told Arjuna that in order to live and act in freedom without fear, one has to acquire the Knowledge of HIS full reality and all HIS relationships (BG: 7:7, 7:14, 7:24,  8:8-10, 10:41, 9:4, 9:11).  SriKrishna has so far revealed,  that HIS supreme reality is eternal, without beginning, imperceptible (to senses), always whole, without birth or death.  SriKrishna has also clearly described that all the visible world is a projection of only a speck of HIS powers, that HE is the originator, sustainer and the foundation of everything and all beings the visible world.   SriKrishna described some of HIS manifestations that serve as unmistakable signs of HIS presence in the visible world  in Chapter 10.   SriKrishna revealed to Arjuna HIS Universal Cosmic Form in Chapter 11.

CONTENTS

From the lesson of two aspects of the One Supreme Divine Being’s manifestation (one in the visible and one beyond the visible),  Arjuna wanted clarification if the worship of any one of them was better than the other.  Arjuna asks the question: “who has the greater knowledge among the two – one who seeks the eternal, immutable reality or the one who with knowledge and adoration, seeks you as visible, with form and with name”? BG 12:1.

SriKrishna gives decisive, unambiguous and emphatic answer.  He says: ” one who keeps his mind always united in ME (perceptible), seeks after ME with supreme faith (as the originator,  supporter and sustainer of everything) will be united with ME.  One who seeks the unmanifest by restraining all senses,  seeing and feeling the presence of ONE Self in all, mind seeped in the welfare of all beings, also reaches ME.  However, the task of comprehending the unmanifest, imperceptible is an arduous task that demands a total control, repression and mortification of senses.  Further, the mind’s difficulty of holding on to a thing without attributes and the restrain of the natural urges of senses, is unsurmountable for almost the whole majority of human beings.   Such an effort is also unnecessary.  Therefore, worship ME in my manifestation (taking the perceptible aspect as representing the infinite), dedicating all actions to ME, considering ME as supreme,  meditating on ME without being disturbed.   Who ever follows this path, I will carry him out of agony of birth and death quickly.   Therefore, you keep your mind fixed in ME, make your will merged in ME and you will dwell in ME.  This is definite”. (BG 12:2-8).

This converges on the basis for purposeful living  with proper knowledge that eternal Divine is uniformly manifest in all the transient entities in the visible world.  This awareness that all forms are embedded in ONE, eternal, formless Supreme Being is naturally expressed as love and devotion to all beings, choosing the right actions and doing them enthusiastically,  as a dedication to the supreme, without selfishness and attachment.   Therefore, any visible form can be used as a representation of the eternal for the purpose of worship, expressing adoration, gaining concentration, developing faith,  strong will and  knowledge.

SriKrishna then gives a few methods for developing the Knowledge of all-pervading Divine, by constant devotion to a visible form of the Divine, with a gradation of greater ease and faster results, while going about all life’s necessary activities.  Following are the steps suggested to develop perfection by unswerving devotion.  SriKrishna says:

  • “Keep the mind concentrated on MY visible form.
  • If you are not capable of keeping the mind concentrated on ME, try to gain concentration by constant practice.
  • If you find yourself not capable of practice, make it your supreme goal to do MY work, for MY sake.
  • If you are not capable of even this, then be Self-controlled and renounce the fruit of all action to ME
  • Better than Practice (Abhyasa)  is Knowledge (Jnyana),  better than  is Knowledge is Meditation (Dhyana),  better than Meditation is Renunciation of fruit of action (karma-phala-tyaga),  by the Renunciation of fruit of action, tranquility follows immediately “. BG:12:9-12.

Gradation shown is:  Repeated practice of austerities is powerful,  but better than this is the Knowledge of truth behind all appearances.  The thought-knowledge is excelled by contemplation of the truth, always being one with it.  Most powerful and the best is, giving up the fruit of Action to the lord of all Action.  This immediately destroys all causes of mental disturbance and brings inner calm and peace.  This is a reaffirmation of what SriKrishna told before.  BG:3:8-9, BG:5:2, BG:6:46.

SriKrishna gives the qualities of a devotee or the qualities to be developed by all: BG:12:13-20.

  • No enmity to all creatures (Adveshta sarvabhutanaam).
  • Friendship and compassion for all beings (Maitrah, karunah).
  • No I-ness, My-ness (nirmama, nirahankaarah).
  • Not lost in pleasure or pain (Sama duhkhah sukhah).
  • Forgiving (kshamee).
  • Always fulfilled, No hankering desires (santushtah satatam).
  • Controlled Self (yataatmaa).
  • Resolute will power, love and devotion with mind and reason dedicated to the Divine (dhrudha nishchyah, mayyarpita mano budhih).
  • Does not cause affliction or trouble to the world (yasmannodvijate lokah).
  • Is not afflicted or troubled by the world (lokaannodvijate yah).
  • Has his lower nature controlled, hence does not succumb to rush of anxiety, joy or fear (harshaamarsha baya udvegaih muktah).
  • Pure (shuchih).
  • Skilled in action – Not given to idleness, not hankering for fruit of action (dakshah).
  • Does not take up selfish-motivated actions (sarvaarambha parityagee).
  • Equal to friend and enemy (samah shatrou cha mitre cha).
  • Equal to honor, insult, praise, blame (samah manaapamaanayoh, tulya nindaastutih).
  • Firm in mind because it is fixed on the highest Self in all, his sole object of love and adoration (sthiramatih bhaktimaan).

This is the highest state of human freedom and perfection by fusion of Knowledge, Devotion and Action.  This state is achieved by the understanding of the Divine as the transcendent being, ever free, and also present as the essence in all visible beings and matter.  The devotee lives in adoration of the Divine’s presence in all living things.  This awareness makes him capable of proper discernment between duty and non-duty and right and wrong actions.  With this wisdom, the devotee dedicates all actions to the Divine.  This is most potent weapon to  destroy the cause of most mental disturbances (dualities of pleasure-pain, success-failure etc….) and preserves the inner calm and peace.  With a calm and peaceful mind the devotee feels free, secure in possession of the Divine and performs the right actions with perfection, serving the well being of all.

Highest mark has been given to the Yoga of desire-less Action (Karma-yoga, Karma-phala-tyaga), the basis of which is the fusion of Knowledge, Devotion and Action.  It is on this basis, that Arjuna receives the command to engage in battle without fear, without enmity,  without selfishness, without longing for heaven or fearful of hell,  but with full enthusiasm and involvement, for the societal benefit and preserving the harmony of creation, acting as an instrument of the Divine.

OM TAT SAT.

This concludes the Chapter Twelve entitled  ‘Yoga of Devotion’ (‘Bhakti- Yoga‘) in the dialogue between SriKrishna and Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita Upanishad (Upanishad told by the Lord), on the Science of  Science of right Action (Yoga-Shastra), included in the Knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-Vidya).  

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