Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 Verse 1 — Bhakti Yoga
Sanskrit
अर्जुन उवाच | एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते | ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ||१२-१||
Transliteration
arjuna uvāca . evaṃ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṃ paryupāsate . ye cāpyakṣaramavyaktaṃ teṣāṃ ke yogavittamāḥ ||12-1||
Hindi Meaning
।।12.1।। अर्जुन ने कहा -- जो भक्त, सतत युक्त होकर इस (पूर्वोक्त) प्रकार से आपकी उपासना करते हैं और जो भक्त अक्षर, और अव्यक्त की उपासना करते हैं, उन दोनों में कौन उत्तम योगवित् है।।
English Meaning
Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?
Commentary
Kṛṣṇa has now explained about the personal, the impersonal and the universal and has described all kinds of devotees and yogīs . Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided into two classes. One is the impersonalist, and the other is the personalist. The personalist devotee engages himself with all energy in the service of the Supreme Lord. The impersonalist also engages himself, not directly in the service of Kṛṣṇa but in meditation on the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested. We find in this chapter that of the different processes for realization of the Absolute Truth, bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is the highest. If one at all desires to have the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he must take to devotional service. Those who worship the Supreme Lord directly by devotional service are called personalists. Those who engage themselves in meditation on the impersonal Brahman are called impersonalists. Arjuna is here questioning which position is better. There are different ways to realize the Absolute Truth, but Kṛṣṇa indicates in this chapter that bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to Him, is the highest of all. It is the most direct, and it is the easiest means for association with the Godhead. In the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā , the Supreme Lord explained that a living entity is not the material body; he is a spiritual spark. And the Absolute Truth is the spiritual whole. In the Seventh Chapter He spoke of the living entity as being part and parcel of the supreme whole and recommended that he transfer his attention fully to the whole. Then again in the Eighth Chapter it was said that anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa at the time of quitting his body is at once transferred to the spiritual sky, to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. And at the end of the Sixth Chapter the Lord clearly said that of all yogīs, one who always thinks of Kṛṣṇa within himself is considered the most perfect. So in practically every chapter the conclusion has been that one should be attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa, for that is the highest spiritual realization. Nevertheless, there are those who are not attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa. They are so firmly detached that even in the preparation of commentaries to Bhagavad-gītā they want to distract other people from Kṛṣṇa and transfer all devotion to the impersonal brahma-jyotir . They prefer to meditate on the impersonal form of the Absolute Truth, which is beyond the reach of the senses and is not manifest. And so, factually, there are two classes of transcendentalists. Now Arjuna is trying to settle the question of which process is easier and which of the classes is most perfect. In other words, he is clarifying his own position because he is attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa. He is not attached to the impersonal Brahman. He wants to know whether his position is secure. The impersonal manifestation, either in this material world or in the spiritual world of the Supreme Lord, is a problem for meditation. Actually, one cannot perfectly conceive of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Therefore Arjuna wants to say, “What is the use of such a waste of time?” Arjuna experienced in the Eleventh Chapter that to be attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa is best because he could thus understand all other forms at the same time and there was no disturbance to his love for Kṛṣṇa. This important question asked of Kṛṣṇa by Arjuna will clarify the distinction between the impersonal and personal conceptions of the Absolute Truth.
Hinglish Commentary
Kṛṣṇa ne ab tak personal, impersonal aur universal ke baare mein samjha diya hai, aur bhakt aur yogi ke alag-alag prakar ko bhi describe kiya hai. Aam tor par, jo transcendentalists hote hain, unhe do classes mein baanta ja sakta hai. Ek hote hain impersonalists, aur doosre hote hain personalists. Personalist bhakta apni poori shakti se Supreme Lord ki seva mein lag jaata hai. Impersonalist seedha Kṛṣṇa ki seva nahi karta, balki unki unmanifested roop, yaani impersonal Brahman par dhyaan lagata hai. Is chapter mein humein yeh pata chalta hai ki Absolute Truth ko samajhne ke liye bhakti-yoga, yaani devotional service, sabse uchit hai. Agar koi Supreme Personality of Godhead ki sangati chahata hai, toh usse bhakti mein lagna padega. Jo log seedha devotional service ke zariye Supreme Lord ki pooja karte hain, unhe personalists kaha jata hai, jabki jo log impersonal Brahman par dhyaan dete hain, unhe impersonalists bola jata hai. Arjuna yahan yeh jaanch raha hai ki kaunsa position behtar hai. Absolute Truth ko samajhne ke liye alag-alag tareeke hain, lekin Kṛṣṇa yeh batate hain ki bhakti-yoga, yaani unki seva, sabse uncha hai. Yeh sabse seedha aur asan tareeka hai Godhead ke saath sambandh banane ka. Bhagavad-gītā ke doosre chapter mein, Supreme Lord ne samjhaya tha ki jeev atma material body nahi hai; woh ek spiritual spark hai. Absolute Truth ek spiritual whole hai. Saatve chapter mein unhone jeev atma ko supreme whole ka hissa bataya aur yeh salah di ki apna dhyaan poori tarah se whole par laga do. Phir aathve chapter mein kaha gaya ki jo koi Kṛṣṇa ko yaad karta hai jab uska sharir chhodta hai, woh turant spiritual sky, yaani Kṛṣṇa ke abode, mein chala jaata hai. Aur chhate chapter ke end mein Lord ne yeh bhi kaha ki sab yogiyon mein, jo Kṛṣṇa ko apne mann mein hamesha yaad karta hai, woh sabse perfect mana jata hai. Toh practically har chapter ka conclusion yeh hai ki Kṛṣṇa ke personal form se judna chahiye, kyunki yeh sabse uncha spiritual realization hai. Lekin kuch log hain jo Kṛṣṇa ke personal form se jude nahi hain. Woh itne detached hain ki Bhagavad-gītā ke commentaries likhte waqt bhi dusre logon ko Kṛṣṇa se distract karne ki koshish karte hain aur apni bhakti ko impersonal brahma-jyotir ki taraf transfer karte hain. Woh impersonal Absolute Truth par dhyaan dena pasand karte hain, jo indriyon ke daira se bahar hai aur manifest nahi hota. Isliye, asal mein do prakar ke transcendentalists hain. Ab Arjuna yeh samjhne ki koshish kar raha hai ki kaunsa process asan hai aur kaunsa class sabse perfect hai. Matlab, woh apni position ko clarify karna chahte hain kyunki woh Kṛṣṇa ke personal form se jude hain, aur impersonal Brahman se nahi. Woh yeh jaanana chahte hain ki kya unki position secure hai. Impersonal manifestation, chahe yeh material world mein ho ya Supreme Lord ke spiritual world mein, meditation ke liye ek problem hai. Asal mein, koi bhi impersonal feature of Absolute Truth ko perfectly samajh nahi sakta. Isliye Arjuna kehna chahte hain, “Aise samay ka kya faida?” Arjuna ne 11th chapter mein mehsoos kiya tha ki Kṛṣṇa ke personal form se judna sabse behtar hai, kyunki is tarah se woh saare dusre forms ko samajh sakte the aur unki Kṛṣṇa ke liye bhakti mein koi rukawat nahi aati thi. Yeh zaroori sawal jo Arjuna ne Kṛṣṇa se kiya, wo impersonal aur personal conceptions of Absolute Truth ke beech ka fark saaf karega.
Chinmaya Commentary
यद्यपि भगवद्गीता के दार्शनिक प्रवचन संवाद की शैली में लिखे गये हैं तथापि उनमें विचारों के क्रमिक विकास की कभी भी उपेक्षा नहीं की गई है। उसमें न केवल एक अध्याय के अन्तर्गत विचारों में संगति है वरन् एक अध्याय से अन्य अघ्यायों के मध्य भी यही संगति देखने को मिलती है। पूर्व अध्याय की समाप्ति भगवान् के इस आश्वासन के साथ हुई थी कि कोई भी साधक भक्त अनन्यभक्ति के द्वारा ईश्वर के विराट् वैभव का स्वयं में साक्षात् अनुभव कर सकता है। इस चुनौती भरे वाक्य ने क्षत्रिय राजपुत्र अर्जुन की महत्त्वाकांक्षा को जगा दिया। जगत् के एक व्यावहारिक पुरुष के रूप में वह जानना चाहता है कि वह परमात्मा के कौन से रूप की उपासना करे।यहाँ प्रश्न बड़ी बुद्धिमत्तापूर्वक रखा गया है। यह सुविदित तथ्य है कि जगत् में दो प्रकार के साधक होते हैं जो वस्तुत एक ही साध्य को प्राप्त करने के लिए साधनारत होते हैं। कोई साधक परमात्मा के सगुण साकार व्यक्त रूप की आराधनाउपासना करते हैं जबकि अन्य साधक निर्गुण निराकार अव्यक्त का ध्यान करते हैं। दोनों ही निष्ठावान् हैं और अपनेअपने मार्ग पर प्रगति की ओर अग्रसर होते हैं। परन्तु प्रश्न यह है कि इन दोनों में कौन उत्तम योगवित् या योगनिष्ठ है।दर्शनशास्त्र में इन्द्रियगोचर वस्तु को व्यक्त कहते हैं तथा जो वस्तु प्रमाण गोचर नहीं होती उसे अव्यक्त कहा जाता है। विद्यार्थी दशा में अर्जुन को यह बताया गया था कि परमात्मा अव्यक्त और सर्वव्यापी है। परन्तु पूर्व अध्याय में ही उसने ईश्वरी विराट रूप का साक्षात् दर्शन किया था। वह उसका व्यक्तिगत अनुभव था। स्वाभाविक ही है कि आध्यात्मिक विकास के लिए मार्गदर्शन का इच्छुक अर्जुन एक उचित प्रश्न पूछता है कि सगुण और निर्गुण के इन दो उपासकों में कौन साधक श्रेष्ठ है सगुण और निर्गुण में श्रेष्ठता का प्रश्न आज भी विवाद का विषय बना हुआ है। क्या मूर्तिपूजा के द्वारा ईश्वर का ध्यान और साक्षात्कार किया जा सकता है क्या कोई भी प्रतीक परमात्मा का सूचक हो सकता है क्या एक तरंग समुद्र का प्रतीक या प्रतिनिधि बन सकती है प्रथम भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण सगुणोपासना का वर्णन करते हुए कहते हैं