नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्
देवीं सरस्वतीं चैव ततो जयम् उदीरयेत्
महाभारत
Mahābhārata
As retold by
Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi
Bhagavad-gītā
Summary: Chapter 12
Chapter 12
The Path of Devotion
The nature of faith is flexible: while firm one
moment, it may become weakened the next. Arjuna is now firmly convinced about Kṛṣṇa’s
position. And yet he still has some doubts. We have heard so much about
liberation from the material world; which is better, liberation or dedication?
Arjuna questions the Lord not from weakness,
but from strength. At this point Arjuna is a surrendered soul, but he still
wants practical advice on the nature of bhakti. How can he engage himself with
all his energy in the service of the Lord? In this chapter we again explore the
different processes for self realization. Here we see the value of the rapid
efficacy of bhakti in attaining deliverance from birth and death and even going
beyond, to the highest planes of divine love in the spiritual world. We learn
more about the practice of bhakti.
According to Ramanuja’s version and commentary,
here Kṛṣṇa directs the beginner in self-realization towards a deeper
understanding ātma-jñāna. He describes further the nature of the “modes” of
material nature, the gunas or primary influences on the conscious being
in the world of perception. And finally,
the excellence of bhakti is described.
Looking back on what we have seen so far, we can summarize the 1st
Chapter of the Bhagavad-Gītā as expounding Arjuna’s crisis of conscience. Arjuna appeals to dharma, duty, and concludes that
it cannot possibly be to his benefit to fight.
In the 2nd Chapter Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna his conception of dharma is relative. When considering
society consciousness versus spiritual consciousness, the absolute
consideration takes precedence over the relative. the Lord explains that a living entity is not
the material body but is a spiritual spark, a part of the Absolute Truth. Real dharma is more concerned with God
consciousness than with societal duty. But how to realize God consciousness?
While in of the 2nd Chapter, Kṛṣṇa explains that work should
be done without attachment to the results, the 3rd Chapter introduces the idea
of “work-in-sacrifice” or karma-yoga,
which is flawed when one is still attached to results of action. Arjuna should
sacrifice his own benefit for the higher good. Sacrifice is better than
selfishness. On the path to God realization, karma-yoga is a valuable
step. But karma-yoga alone is
imcomplete.
The Fourth Chapter recommends a deeper understanding of reality: jñāna-yoga. Transcendental knowledge may
be understood from a bona fide spiritual master who represents the line of
self-realization. A more complete approach towards enlightenment should involve
knowledge. Action performed with knowledge will take one higher than mere
sacrifice alone.
The 5th chapter develops
this theme. It couples the karma-yoga idea of “work-in-sacrifice” with jñāna-yoga or transcendental knowledge.
When work is done as sacrifice with knowledge of the Supreme, it gradually
transforms into dedication. Complete dedication to God coupled with an
understanding of His nature gradually becomes bhakti, the path of devotion. This is recommended highly as the
best path of perfection.
The 6th chapter dwells on the eightfold yoga path, but while various
kinds of yoga are discussed throughout, at the end of the 6th Chapter the Lord says that out of all the
yogis, he who thinks of Kṛṣṇa within himself in divine meditation is considered
to he the most perfect. The conclusion of the 1st 6 Chapters of the
Bhagavad-Gītā is found in devotional service, or bhakti.
The 7th Chapter,
discusses the exact knowledge of God, defining ontological and
cosmological terms, expanding the explanation of metaphysics that sustains the
Gītā. He describes the divisions of
devotees and the superiority of the selfless devotees. Here, God speaks of the living entity as part and parcel
of the supreme whole and recommends that he transfer his attention fully to the
whole through bhakti.
The Eighth Chapter, the “Hindu Book of the Dead,” explains the different
destinations that await the spirit soul at the time of death and sustains that
whoever thinks of Kṛṣṇa at
the moment of death is at once transferred to the spiritual sky, Kṛṣṇa 's abode.
The 9th Chapter explains that bhakti is the superior form
of karma-yoga. When sacrificial action is infused with
transcendental knowledge, and faith it may grow into bhakti, devotion. This is
the best means of approaching the divine.
The 10th Chapter demonstrates the opulences of God and gives
the central argument of the Gītā, where personal devotion to Kṛṣṇa is recommended as
the highest form of spiritual realization.
In the 11th Chapter, when Arjuna wants a vision of divine
reality, not only for his own personal edification but for the sake of
generations of faithful readers of the Bhagavad-Gītā, Kṛṣṇa reveals himself,
first in his Cosmic Form, then in his Four-Handed form as God Himself, and
finally in his Two-Handed Form as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Throughout the Bhagavad-Gītā, personal devotion to a personal
monotheistic divinity is recommended by Kṛṣṇa.
According to the version of the
author of Mahābharata, Vedavyāsa, the narrator, Kṛṣṇa is God Himself. This
version is confirmed also by Vaishampayana Rishi, the speaker of the
Mahābharata, as by Suta Goswāmī who repeats this version before the 10,000
sages at the sacrifice of Naimisharanya.
Kṛṣṇa describes his divinity personally. He explains that from time to
time God Himself takes human form to right wrongs and set dharma on the correct path.
When Arjuna doubts His Divinity, Kṛṣṇa gives him a personal
demonstration of his miracles. From beginning to end the Bhagavad-Gītā
reaffirms the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa as Godhead, and bhakti or divine love as both the means and the ends in the path of
spiritual perfection.
And yet there are those who are still attracted to Kṛṣṇa’s impersonal
brahmajyoti effulgence, which is the all-pervasive aspect of the Absolute Truth
and which is unmanifest and beyond the reach of the senses. Many consider that
Kṛṣṇa is just another form of divinity.
Just as so many other forms, he too will disappear in the moment of divine realization.
Many transcendentalists seek the path of dissolution in the Supreme and find
justification for their views in their own interpretation of Bhagavad-Gītā.
They think that when Kṛṣṇa says “I” or “Me,” He is referring to a Universal Me.
So, here at the beginning of the 12th Chapter, Arjuna would
like to know which of these two types of transcendentalists is more perfect in
knowledge: the personalists or the impersonalists.
Arjuna wants Kṛṣṇa to make this point clear for future generations,
since he accepts the worship of the personal form of
Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna is not interested in
realization of cosmic spirtuality.
Arjuna is
uncomfortable with an impersonal force as God. Here he’s asking "Why waste time with
this form of meditation? What value could it have?" Arjuna has already had
a divine revelation in the Eleventh Chapter.
His epiphany is that to be attached to the personal form of Kṛsṇa. is
best. But still, he wants to clarify the distinction between the impersonal and
personal conceptions of the Absolute Truth.
Kṛṣṇa
answers Arjuna by reiterating the importance of bhakti. A few
concessions are made to the other yoga systems in the 12th Chapter. Kṛṣṇa reminds Arjuna that when bhakti-yoga is impossible, then one
may try jñāna-yoga, and if that is too difficult one may try karma-yoga, and if
that also unfeasable, even ordinary works of charity will help elevate one in
the search for liberation from the world of birth and death, since good works
are after all good karma. And yet, the path of devotion or divine love is considered the best.
The Blessed Lord said: “He whose mind is fixed on My personal form,
always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is
considered by Me to be most perfect. Others who meditate on the unmanifested, the
transcendant, the all-pervading, unknown, impersonal conception of the Absolute
Truth-by sense control and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, achieve
Me in My impersonal aspect. And yet, For
those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the
Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline
is always difficult for those who are embodied.
Bhaktivedānta
Swāmī comments,
“The
group of transcendentalists who follow the path of the inconceivable,
unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord are called jniina-yogis,
and persons who are in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service
to the Lord, are called bhakti-yogis.
Now, here the difference between jñāna-yoga
and bhakti-yoga is definitely
expressed. The process of jnāna-yoga,
although ultimately bringing one to the same goal, is very troublesome, whereas
the path of bhakti-yoga, the process
of being in direct service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easier and
is natural for the embodied soul. The individual soul is embodied since time
immemorial. It is very difficult for him to simply theoretically understand
that he is not the body. Therefore, the bhakti-yogi accepts the Deity of Kṛṣṇa
as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which
can thus be applied.”
Kṛṣṇa
continues:
“For one
who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me
without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me,
who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Prtha, for him I am the swift
deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.”
“Just fix
your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your
intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt. My dear
Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without
deviation, then follow the regulated principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way you
will develop a desire to attain to Me.
“He who
follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages
himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me.”
Bhaktivedānta
Swāmī concludes, “In this chapter the religion of eternal engagement, the
explanation of the process of transcendental service for approaching the Supreme
Lord, is given. This process is very dear to the Lord, and He accepts a person
who is engaged in such a process. The question who is better-one who is en
gaged in the path of impersonal Brahman or one who is engaged in the personal
service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead-was raised by Arjuna, and the
Lord replied to him so explicitly that there is no doubt that devotional
service to the Personality of Godhead is the best of all processes of spiritual
realization. In other words, in this chapter it is decided that through good
association, one develops attachment for pure devotional service and thereby
accepts a bona fide spiritual master and from him begins to hear and chant and
observe the regulative principles of devotional service with faith, attachment
and devotion and thus becomes engaged in the transcendental service of the
Lord. This path is recommended in this chapter; therefore there is no doubt
that devotional service is the only absolute path for self-realization, for the
attainment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The impersonal conception of
the Supreme Absolute Truth, as described in this chapter, is recommended only
up to the time one surrenders himself for self-realization. In other words, as
long as one does not have the chance to associate with a pure devotee, the
impersonal conception may be beneficial. In the impersonal conception of the
Absolute Truth one works without fruitive result, meditates and cultivates
knowledge to understand spirit and matter. This is necessary as long as one is
not in the association of a pure devotee. Fortunately, if one develops directly
a desire to engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in pure devotional service, he does
not need to undergo step by step improvements in spiritual realization. Devotional
service, as described in the middle six chapters of Bhagavad-Gītā, is more
congenial. One need not bother about materials to keep body and soul together
because by the grace of the Lord everything is carried out automatically.”
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