Chapter - XII
UNITIVE DEVOTION AND CONTEMPLATION
(Bhakti Yoga)
It has to be noted that this Chapter refers to two degrees of contemplative life, the personal and the impersonal, of which the former is easy but inferior and the latter difficult but superior.
A general discussion of devotion on the usual lines has already been covered in the later part of the last Chapter. Here an important doubt is raised by Arjuna in regard to two possible kinds of devotion implied in what till now was just called bhakti (devotion).
Says NG: “A bhakta (devotee) is portrayed as a detached and dispassionate individual, and wisdom is still his higher goal, as indicated even in verse 12 of this Chapter. The attitude of a devotee here shows the same traits of a yogi such as balance between opposites like pleasure-pain, etc., as also found in other parts of the Gita. The only question that is discussed in this Chapter, which is of particular interest to the author Vyasa, consists in the difference between a devotee who thinks of the Absolute as a person, which might cover even the personification of a principle, or the devotee who regards the Absolute in a more theoretical or philosophical manner.”
We have found till now that NG has failed to understand the core of Gita’s teaching. However, we continue to give the explanations given by him or ACBSP for sake of interest. Without commenting on what NG has written any further, we would like our readers to proceed with us with the reading and see whether NG is right in his observation here.
What we would definitely like to say is that bhakti (devotion) is conventionally associated with the worship of gods of mythology or idols, especially in India. A devotee would stand with bowed head and folded arms in front of an idol of Kali, Siva or even the Sai Baba. Theistic ideas of God were the core of the teachings of Vedas and Gita but those very scriptures were misinterpreted to give them a non-theistic look. So much so that the Devatas of the Vedas began to be worshipped and the same happened in the case of Krishna, Rama and innumerable others. Otherwise, we have proved in the BOOK and are proving here as well, the Vedas and Gita are exactly identical in teachings to religions like Christianity or Islam, which are said to represent the ideas of theism free from myth or idolatry. In fact, we have proved that Hinduism, Christianity, Jews and Islam are but one path or religion; sans deviation they are but one religion.
Let us see how Gita touches the subject of devotion.
[1]
Arjuna said:
Those devotees who worship You, ever unitively, and those again (who meditated on) the Imperishable and the Unmanifested; of them which excels in yoga-knowledge?
The word evam (thus) with which this verse begins is meant to refer backwards to the last verse of the previous Chapter, where a personal surrender of actions to a supreme entity was implied.
The God described in the previous Chapter, as part of the vision shown to Arjuna, cannot conform to the pattern of a beneficent Vishnu theistically understood. Despite this, we are of the opinion that Gita maintains the theistic concept all through, without at any time, moving away from it. At no place, even while showing the vision, was any word uttered that is contradictory to the principle of theism. On contrary, the vision itself was shown to lead Arjuna to the One Absolute God, over all the gods that society had built for itself. What comprised the vision is not known, whether it was a very bright and luminous light, as was shown to Moses, or something else. It was Arjuna who derived the various meanings, relating that vision to all the Devatas and idols of the time.
Even if the vision or form that was shown comprised of the characteristics of all the Devatas (who were being worshipped as gods) during the time, it was because Paramatma wanted to show to Arjuna that It was superior to all the rest of false gods that people had built in their mind. That is why it was said that even the Devatas, who are so dear, have not been shown this form, as it was shown due to the requirements of removing doubts from Arjuna’s mind.
Devotion to the Absolute God, be it in its manifest or non-manifested form, is a must. Arjuna here puts a pointed question, in which a subtle distinction is implied between one who meditates on a manifest form of God i.e. of Vishnu and Brahma (the various states of the process of manifestation) which later created the Devatas and subsequently the cosmos, and one who meditates only on impersonal aspects of akshara (Imperishable) and the avyaktam (Unmanifested) – mentioned in scriptures as Mahesh (the Supreme or Absolute God). Meditating on the word Aum symbolized movement of flight (of thought or imagination) from the manifest to the Unmanifest, as we have seen in the BOOK. Both are equally included under the context of yoga, and it is only a matter of comparison between them that is here undertaken as expressed by the phrase yogavittahah (best of yoga-knowers).
However, worshipping the Manifest does not mean that we concoct stories about Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh or the Devatas, erect their images to worship them as individuals, and instead of elevating ourselves to the level of life desired by them, bring them down to our levels, as was the case during the period of Mahabharata, in which the images of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh and Mahadeva Indra were worshipped as individual gods while kings and priests used their names to establish their authority over people.
Whether it is worshipping the manifest or the unmanifest forms of God, the real purpose is to show devotion unto God with minds entered into Him, with a fervour pertaining to the Supreme, that is desired of every human being (next verse will talk more of this).
[2]
Sribhagavan said:
Those with minds entered into me, who unitively meditate on Me, with a fervour pertaining to the Supreme, those according to Me are the most unitively (attuned) in yoga.
ACBSP translates:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshipping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.
The child-devotee, Prahlada described devotion of God as having nine features – to hear the names, praises and stories of Lord Vishnu; chant them; to remember Him; to wait upon Him; worship Him; to offer salutation to Him; to dedicate one’s actions to Him; to cultivate friendship with Him; and to offer one’s body as well as one’s dependents and belongings to Him.
Prahlada is a fine example of one who remembered the highest manifest form of the Supreme God right from birth and remained steadfast in his devotion in spite of innumerable hardships including threats to life inflicted by his own father Hiranyakasipu. When his father threatened him and asked where God was, he fearlessly replied that He was Omnipresent and that He was there even in the words he uttered. Such conviction and confidence resulted because of his unalloyed devotion to Vishnu, the manifested form of God.
It is interesting to note that Prahlada also talked of waiting upon Lord Vishnu, besides other things like dedicating one’s actions to Him, to cultivate friendship with Him and to offer one’s body as well as one’s dependents and belongings to Lord Vishnu. The same is the purpose of all the discourse in Gita, where Vishnu (the Manifest Self) tells Arjuna to fight till he attains victory or death. Ultimate aim is to reach the Manifest Self, beyond all the Devatas and Messengers, and the role of the Devatas and Messengers is to lead us to the worship of Manifest Self.
In answer to Arjuna’s question, the Manifest Self clearly says that he who concentrates upon Its personal form and who worships this manifest form with faith and devotion is to be considered most perfect in yoga. The word used is mayy avesya manah (with minds entered into Me) and with sraddha (faith), which the author takes care to modify at once by the qualification paraya (pertaining to the Supreme).
From this, commentators like ACBSP have derived that the physical body of Krishna, with his lotus-petal eyes, is meant, which is wrong. Krishna may be one of the Avatars of Vishnu, but that does not mean that he has to be worshipped. Krishna’s material body too eventually perished. It is unfortunate that we couldn’t get the gist of Krishna’s teachings. Even if the worship of the Manifest Self is allowed, it has to be performed, with a fervour to reach the Supreme Power.
These verses clearly suggest that the Manifest and the Unmanifest forms of God were being worshipped during those times as well. Gita has not denounced the two. What is denounced with certainty is the worship of Devatas, the demons, the serpents, the gandharvas, and the like.
[3-4]
But those who meditate upon the Imperishable, the Undefineable, the Unmanifested, the All-Pervasive and the Thought-transcending, the Firmly-established, the Immobile, the Constant,
having, restrained all sense-aggregates, regarding all with equalizing understanding, interested in the well-being of the all creatures, they reach Me too.
See how ACBSP has translated these two verses:
But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable – the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth – by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.
On the other hand, there are those who meditate upon (upasana) the unmanifest form of God – Allah or the Absolute God. Since the worship of the Manifest (Vishnu) had led man astray on several occasions, leading him to create idols for worship, later day religions like Christianity and Islam did not talk of the Manifest Self, leading the Muslims to wrongly conclude that only an Absolute God existed. Another reason why Islam might not have talked of the Manifest elaborately was because the Noor of those who comprised the Manifest Self (the Devatas) was itself descending in human bodies, in the form of Ahlulbayt (the people of the House of the Manifest Self). However, upon careful reading, the presence of Manifest Self can be inferred from Quran as well, as we have shown in the book ‘Muslims and the Straight Path’.
This is to be kept in mind that the term Ahlulbayt (People of the House) in Quran has not been used for the people of the house of Mohammad, as is generally believed. This is so because Mohammad too is included in the Ahlulbayt. Logically, Ahlulbayt are People of the House of Manifest Self or we may call them People of the House of God and not people of the house of Mohammad. Reading of the Upanishads, Vedas and Gita with us will leave no doubt whatsoever regarding this.
There is another point to be noted. Meditating on the Absolute inevitably leads to a transformation of nature. Unlike what is commonly understood in present times, meditating means saying goodbye to all the sins that the person performs. This shows that meditating is a continuous affair, which enables a person to regulate his actions. Meditating, as a ritual, at set times of the day and performing acts that are more materialistic than spiritualistic is not recommended. In fact, such a mode of worship is strongly denounced.
Islam makes it obligatory upon Muslims to pray five times a day. There are several Muslims who have begun doing so in a ritualistic manner with their thoughts wandering here and there while they recite the verses or perform the obligatory acts during their prayers. This is not the desired way. A tradition related to Prophet Mohammad confirms that mere performing the actions is not the desired way. Instead a unitive connection with God shall be built. ‘Having retrained all sense-aggregates’, the self should reach the Manifest Self. Prophet Mohammad says if you wish to know whether your prayers have been accepted, see whether some good attributes get added to your personality after the prayer. This is so because good attributes are directly proportional to elevation of self towards purity. The more self gets nearer to the Manifest Self, the more goodness will start showing in the personality. A stage comes when our self gets united with the Manifest Self. Divine attributes start showing in the personality of such a person.
But it is not easy to understand the Unmanifest. Human brain stores information in the form of images and it is extremely difficult for the brain to think of an unmanifest. That is why the next verse says: “the way of the Unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach.” It is this reason why human beings continued to make material images or started worshipping the Devatas, that too by making their images.
[5]
The difficulty of those whose relational minds are set on the Unmanifested is greater, for the way of the Unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach.
ACBSP’s translation is this:
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.
A direct answer to Arjuna’s question is not given in this verse. This is so because the Manifest Self is not even negating the worship of Manifest Self. What is said clearly is that it is difficult for the embodied to understand the Unmanifest form of God. It is perhaps this reason that God created a Manifest form of Himself, so as to decrease the troubles of the embodied beings, for whom it is easier to worship the Manifest than the Unmanifest Form. Unfortunately, the embodied beings could not confine themselves to the worship of Manifest Self but began worshipping the various Messengers and Avatars sent by the Manifest as well as illustrious people from their forefathers, demons, etc. as gods. When such deviations had occurred, it became necessary that another Avatar, by the name of Krishna, be sent.
It is interesting to note that ACBSP, associated as he is with an organization for promoting Krishna consciousness, goes on to prove that worshiping the idol of Krishna in temples is not idol worship. Says he, “the bhakti-yoga accepts the Deity of Krishna as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguna and nirguna – of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguna worship, for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord.”
We are unable to understand why ACBSP is hell-bent on proving that paying obeisance to an idol of Krishna made of wood, stone or oil paint, is not idol worship. Saguna and nirguna, used for Manifest and Unmanifest have been wrongly understood. He calls worshipping an image of temples as worshipping the Manifest, which is totally contrary to the teachings of Gita. If this logic is taken, what is the harm of worshipping the idols of Devatas? To prove his point, ACBSP even goes on to say that there exists proof of his claim in the Vedas as well, which is wrong. We have already seen the real content of the Vedas.
But why is it that man wants idol worship to continue. Gita clearly states that the material mind is such that it is difficult for it to understand the non-material form. That is why man tends to give a material form to everything and in the process even goes way beyond permissible levels, as has continued to happen in all times. It is not possible to understand the Unmanifest or the Manifest without attaining a certain level of spiritual elevation. People or priests, who are unable to reach the desired levels of spiritual elevation, tend to hold on to material attachments and their mind could not fathom the higher levels. That is the reason why we find tendency to create material gods present in almost all parts of the globe.
Fact is that commentators have not understood the real relationship between the Manifest and the Unmanifest forms of God, and on the other hand between the Manifest form of God and the Personality of Krishna as the Messenger or Avatar of the Manifest form. This has led to such meaningless views being put forward.
[6-7]
But those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me supreme, meditating on Me by that yoga exclusive of all else,
for them whose minds have entered into Me, I become ere long, O Partha (Arjuna), the saviour out of the ocean of death and repeated cyclic existences.
See ACBSP’s translation:
But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Partha – for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
You will have to read the life histories of Prophet Mohammad, Fatima, Ali, Hasan, Husain and the rest of the Adityas to find out the real practical commentary of this verse.
Take the life of Ali, for example. He used to spend major portions of the nights worshipping God. It is said that while offering prayers, he cried so vigorously that his beard became wet with tears. There were even occasions that people rushed to Ali’s house to inform that he had died in prayers. When Fatima, his wife, enquired further and was told that Ali is sitting or lying in prostration motionless for a long time, she said this state was common to Ali while worshipping. At one point of time, an arrow had pierced Ali’s foot and whenever people attempted to take out the arrow, the pain was unbearable. It was decided that arrow be taken out when Ali was engrossed in prayers. The same was done and Ali did not even get to know that the arrow had been taken out. At another occasion, Ali was stuck with a poisoned sword when he knelt down in front of God, while offering prayers in the mosque. The attack was so powerful that it split his skull into two. Lying on the side, Ali motioned to his son to step forward and complete the prayers (We have shown this incident is also present in the Vedas). The son too being a Devata, prayer was foremost in the mind of son - Hasan - as well. He completed the prayer. And Ali was taken home on a stretcher only after the prayers were completed.
The same devotion which Ali and his sons - Hasan and Husain - showed in their lives on earth, must have existed even when they were in heavens, in the form of Devatas. And also in the previous human creations (as we know now that this is the 994th creation and the Devatas have been in existence in the previous 993 creations). That is why, as Brhad-aranyaka clearly states, pleased by their devotion, God created all the moving and non-moving objects, including this world, the moon, the stars, and all the rest of the objects. This very fact was clearly stated by Husain when he said that God created the universe because of the Ahlulbayt. The same has been said in Hadees-e-Kisa, translation of which is given in the BOOK. History noted these statements as it is, but no Muslim would have ever understood the real significance of this had Gita and the Vedas not guided us.
The next word is to renounce all actions in God. A very clear example from Ali’s life that reveals this is when the Prophet Mohammad asked Ali to sleep on his bed, as the enemies had surrounded his house and planned to attack at night. At this, Ali asked the question whether lying on his cousin’s bed would save the Prophet’s life and when told that this is what God has ordained, Ali actually went off to sleep unbothered about the fact that the enemies had surrounded the house and could attack any time.
Likewise, Ali was the bravest of warriors when fighting for the cause of God and His message. We are of opinion all his bravery was because of renouncing all actions in God. This was evident when he came down from the chest of the most powerful of warriors from the enemy’s camp, because of whose fear no Muslim had dared to come out and fight.
From the age of 23 to the age of 36, when he was in the company of the Prophet and when it was essential to protect the God’s teachings from the attack of the enemies, he fought some of the fiercest battles. Then after the demise of the Prophet, he went to live a quiet life, despite the fact that he knew that the followers of the Prophet denied him the Caliphate that was rightfully his, and people like Abu Sufiyan came with offers to fill the lanes and by-lanes of Medina with soldiers in Ali’s support. Ali knew that his priority was to have more worshippers and if a conflict arose, propagation of teachings would get hindered. And at an age of 60, when bones become weak and even the most fierce of warriors lose their urge to fight, Ali rose again to fight the forces of evil - when huge mass of people had made him the Caliph of the Islamic world - as keeping quiet then would have been against the principles laid down in Quran and all other Divine Scriptures like Gita.
Gita says such people who worship God, giving up all their activities unto Him and being devoted to Him without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Him, having fixed their minds upon Him, never die and come out of the repeated cyclic existence. Devatas were just here to show us the way. This verse is for us – the ordinary mortals like you and me. It is very much possible for us to attain salvation but it is not an easy task.
It is perhaps this reason why God said in Quran that those who have died while following the path of God, never consider them as dead, they are alive and get their sustenance from God Himself.
There is another interesting point that needs to be elaborated. Prophet Mohammad compared the sinful life to an ocean and said that all those who get aboard the ark of his progeny – the Ahlulbayt – would get liberated. From what would the person get liberated from, was never disclosed. This verse from Gita fully confirms and further elaborates what Prophet Mohammad said at a later stage. After all, Prophet Mohammad was same Mahadeva of Vedas and the first to originate from Lord Vishnu.
This verse clearly states that those who make their minds enter into the Manifest Self acquire union with the Manifest Self (Paramatma) get freed from the ocean of death and repeated cyclic existences. It leaves no doubt that when Prophet Mohammad talked of liberation, he was referring to liberation from repeated cyclic existences.
The repeated cyclic existence too is very much present in the Quran but we are unable to decipher it. It is chiefly because we did not adhere to the final teachings of Mohammad, at Ghadeer-e-Khum, wherein he declared Ali to be his successor and the Lord of all. If Muslims had reached the God through the path shown by Prophet and his progeny, there would have been no rebirth for them. However, when they did not accept the Prophet’s last teaching regarding identification of his successor, for which it was said in the Quran that if this message was not delivered then it would be akin to delivering nothing at all, it became clear that all Muslims won’t attain salvation. Thus there is a rebirth even for those who have taken birth as Muslims. Salvation is guaranteed only for those who attain union with the Manifest Self (through self-control and following the path of the Devatas).
[8]
Place your mind in Me only, let your higher reason enter into Me; you shall without doubt thereafter live in Me.
The Upanishads say it is the Devatas who occupy the higher space of our self. They have also been described as rope, both in Upanishads, Vedas, Quran and Prophet Mohammad’s quotes. Gita here is talking about uniting the higher reason with the Manifest Self. That path needs to be treaded. Mind has to be constantly attuned with the Manifest Self. It has been said earlier those who die thinking of the Absolute acquire union with the Absolute, those who die thinking of the Manifest Self acquire union with the Manifest Self and those who die thinking of their forefathers go to their forefathers.
Taking this further, those who use their wisdom to reach God and then place their mind (that governs the organs of senses and actions) in Manifest Self, would cease to come again and again in this world and live with the Manifest Self forever.
The bhakti (devotion) implied in this verse involves a degree of permanent unity between the worshipper and the worshipped. This is rare in the usual context of devotion.
[9]
If you are unable to fix your thoughts steadily on Me, then by means of unitive ascent (yoga of practice) seek to reach Me, O Dhanamjaya (Arjuna).
Keeping thoughts steadily on Paramatma during all moments has been described as the best practice.
If it is not possible to remain unitive in thoughts at all times, then one must tread the path through native ascent. Quran too has described this when it states if good and bad had been told, why didn’t you climb the steep ascent. This steep ascent is the attempt of the self to proceed on the steep climb towards purity and attaining unity with the Manifest Self. During all this time, the Zulmat (Forces of Darkness) try their best to pull the person back.
The words like ‘steadily’ and ‘unitive ascent’ imply that gradual upliftment of self occurs through steady and fixed devotion. This upliftment of self leads to union with the Higher Self (the Manifest Self). Such a state is called moksh or salvation.
This verse says if it is difficult to fix the thoughts steadily on the Manifest Self, then one should engage in those actions which leads to the Manifest Self of God. This is exactly what the Ahlulbayt tried to do when they asked the believers to perform five times obligatory prayers and expected 30 days of fasting in a year. If the believer wishes and if his desire to tread the path is real, he will involve himself more and more in pursuit of remembering God in his actions. For instance, he can add non-obligatory prayers to the obligatory prayers. Yoga of practice may also include the namaz-e-shab (night prayers), duas (supplications), fasting and other actions that enables a person to remain in communion with the Manifest Self for a longer period. The term sthiram (steady) indicates that this type wavers in maintaining the same level of unitive devotion and sometimes allows other interests and activities to absorb his attention or time. The remedy recommended is to inculcate a desire to attain God so as to bring back the straying mind to the Absolute every time it runs away.
[10]
If you happen to be incapable even for practice, then become one whose every action belongs to Me, the Supreme; even doing work for My sake, you shall attain to perfection.
An even lesser alternative is now given for a man still weaker in devotion. The phrase matkarma paramah (one, all of whose actions belong to Me as the Supreme) means that the man should ceaselessly think about God in all his actions. We have talked about this elsewhere as well. While eating, he should remember God for the food that he has given for sustenance of this life, and he should think of the life that should be lived as per his wish. While having sex as an inevitable action necessary for the sustenance of life, he should think of the God’s bounties to us, even for enjoyment. While planning for a child, he should think of raising him to be a perfect citizen of God’s kingdom. And so on.
As NG rightly says: “Thus equated, the evil attached to karma (action) becomes neutralized by its necessity or inevitability, and also as belonging to the Absolute; because the Absolute is responsible directly for whatever evil of necessity may be in actions. All nature is good, as Rousseau would put it. By the same principle, all necessary or inevitable action equated to the Absolute, or thought of as belonging to the Absolute, becomes free from any taint.”
[11]
If you are unable to do even this, then seek refuge (for your individuality) in My unitive (Being), renouncing the benefits of all actions as one of controlled Self.
Comments NG: “The former verse implied that all necessary and unnatural actions, were pruned to make activity as a whole conform to the will, as it were, of the Absolute principle. Here a further concession is made in the name of a weakness that is incapable even of omitting unnecessary flourishes in the field of natural activity.
What is recommended in such a case is that the devotee should merge his individuality into the larger unitive individuality of the Absolute, however vaguely the devotee may be able to understand such a numinous factor, which is here called madyogam (My yoga, My unitive Being). Yoga as applied to the Absolute is a vague term and at best can be thought of as a unitive way of life dedicated to the unitive of the Absolute, wherein the necessary and the contingent aspects of life merge without difference.
What happens to a devotee who has effaced his active individuality in this way is that he becomes no more interested in gaining anything for himself as a result of his activity. For example, he might engage himself in cultivating a field, but he is not keen on seeing that the sale proceeds go into his own pocket to be used for diversions that take his mind away from the Supreme or the Absolute.
All that this amounts to is that he effaces his egoistic individuality which reaches out towards objectified values for self-gratification. Karma phala tyaga (renunciation of the benefits of action) should be taken in the sense that means and ends are unitively understood as belonging to the Absolute without egoistic interests, which correspond to the benefits intervening.
Nishkama karma (passion-freed action) and karma phala tyaga (renunciation of the benefits of action) both equally refer to one of the important doctrines of the Gita, mentioned as early in ii, 47 and repeated in v,12 and elsewhere. Some commentators interpret this to mean that a man should not have any result in view for the action he undertakes. If there is a disparity between ends and means altogether, the result would be an absurdity. Therefore the renunciation of the result or benefit of action, if it is not to lead to absurdities in life, should be understood in the sense that the actor does actions for their own sake which bring natural results. Into such a bipolar relationship established between ends and means, the individual craving for pleasures that lie outside his interest in the Absolute, do not enter in as interfering third factors.”
[12]
Better indeed is knowledge than practice; than knowledge meditation is superior; than meditation, renunciation of the benefit of action – after renunciation – peace.
Writes NG: “The alternatives given from verse 6 to 11 were based on the motive of easiness. In this verse a gradation is indicated which is based on superiority. Whether a man worships a manifested God in the form of Vishnu or Rudra, or whether he is capable of meditating on the abstract notion of the Absolute as the Unmanifest, the final criterion by which all devotees have to be measured consists primarily of the question of how far their devotion has brought them happiness or peace.
Judged form this normative principle of peace, it is possible to grade and arrange all forms of devotional practice or contemplation as is done here.
Blind practice of devotion without knowledge can only be inferior to a devotion that is guided by knowledge. It is therefore legitimate that the author has given knowledge primacy over practice.”
Practice could include religious practices like the five times offering of prayers each day. Regular practice of remembering God would enable a person to remember Him during all times, even when he is not offering prayers. Likewise, practice of cleaning 5 times a day before prayers will enable the person to remain clean all through life. The practice of controlling all types of passions including anger, lust, greed, etc. and also controlling the urge to eat food and drink water during the 30 days of fasting in ramazan – in remembrance of God - could go a long way in enabling us to keep the remembrance alive during the rest of 11 months.
Meditation is even better than practice and knowledge. There could be many who perform religious acts but have no knowledge about the purpose of those acts. There could also be those who have knowledge but do not put that knowledge into use. Thus meditation is the next stage of knowledge. Even better than meditation is renunciation from seeking the benefits of action. If one is able to do so, the next stage is peace or salvation.
“To sustain meditation uniformly and to save it from distractions that might develop at any time, one should have the power to eliminate all those factors that are likely to drag the mind into channels of instinctive desires. This implies a certain neutrality in regard to means and ends, which is implied in the word karma phala tyagam (renunciation of the benefits of action) already explained. Whether in the form of such a limited relinquishment of benefit only, or in the form of fuller renunciation, as implied in verses 6 and 7 earlier, the element of giving up of personal interest goes very far in establishing that final value in spiritual life leading to the peace or happiness for the contemplative devotee. Thus renunciation has its place higher than meditation because it is by renunciation that peace comes.”
[13-14]
He who has no hatred to all creatures, who is also friendly and compassionate, who is free from possessiveness, (mine-ness), and egoism, who is equalized in pain and pleasure, and forgiving,
such a unitively-disciplined one (yogi) who is always contented, self-controlled, firmly resolved, whose mind and reason are dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to Me.
The last section of this Chapter from verse 13 to 19 describes the ideal bhakta (devotee) who confirms to a contemplative type, as the Gita understands him. We find that the bhakta (devotee) of Gita is different from the usual concept of devotee in the minds of most people, especially in India, who sits in front of an idol chanting devotional songs or sits down to listen to sermons. This is a very materialistic understanding of Gita, and Gita, which condones idol worship and ritualistic actions, can never acknowledge such acts of false devotion. The bhakti (devotion), as talked about in Gita, is visible in all the actions of the bhakta (devotee), who shows no hatred to all creatures, who is also friendly and compassionate, who is free from any attachments, and egoism, and shows same behaviour in pleasure and pain, who is forgiving in nature, who is always contented, self-controlled, firmly resolved, whose mind and reason are dedicated to God; that is the kind of devotion that God holds dear.
Therefore, we may organize as many bhakti satsangs, where songs of bhakti are chanted, but that action is not likely to be affirmed by Gita. Instead, bhakti has to speak in the actions of the man and he does not have to erect certain stage or altar to reveal it. Isn’t this concept altogether different from the present thinking of going to temple once a week, preferably on a Tuesday or Thursday or Saturday, showing bhakti by taking a little prasad and chanting a few slokas, and then forgetting God altogether during the rest of the time of that week, wherein we engage in all kinds of acts that are altogether different from those endorsed by Gita?
[15]
He who does not disturb (the peace of) the world and (whose peace) is not disturbed by the world, and who is free from exaggerations of joy, haste and fear, he too is dear to Me.
The neutrality and lack of exaggeration in the attitude of the bhakta (devotee) are referred to here. It is ironic that the bhakti that we talk about towards Krishna is not the bhakti that Gita prescribes. Devotees congregate to chant Hare Krishna and depart, only to indulge in the vices that have engulfed our daily lives. A great place is given to exaggerated emotionalism, from what might be called “Lord-Lordism” or “Krishna-Krishnaism” to ecstasies of joy, horrification or tears, all of which pass under the name of bhakti (devotion). But this all is false devotion. The concept of the bhakti so propagated has perhaps been designed to keep the institutions of clergy flourishing, just as the Krishna devotees make ISKCON richer every day. Or else, why is it that the knowers of Gita do not come out and discontinue this form of bhakti. Gita discountenances all such forms of bhakti as is sufficiently evidenced in this Chapter, and especially in this verse which condemns all forms of excitement or exaggeration. Moreover, in this verse we find a greater definition of bhakti as per which it does not stand out in contrast or relief as something that disturbs the normality of human life. A true bhakta (devotee) effaces his personality to such an extent that he leaves no mark on his surroundings and the surroundings on their part take no notice of him.
[16]
He who expects no favours, who is clean, expert, who sits unconcerned, carefree, who has relinquished all undertakings, he My devotee is dear to Me.
In the commentary of this verse, NG writes: “The epithets suchi (clear, clean) and daksha (expert) do not suggest the sloppiness or slovenliness which is often condoned in the name of other-worldliness or mysticism. A man of devotion is not steeped in the negative state of inert ignorance. A contemplative is not a hobo type. The Gita here discountenances any type of spirituality which does not include being awake to the details of a given situation, without which no one could be described as daksha (expert), i.e. a man of savoir faire. [If this is so, how can we become experts without knowing the true identity of God and His Manifest Form?]
The epithet sarvarambha parityagi (relinquisher of all undertakings) just means that he does not initiate any course of action as a conscious agent. He participates in life only, as a boat go down downstream.
The expression anapekshah (one who expects no favours) indicates his neutral poise, in the same way as the other term udasinah (one who sits unconcerned). This picture of a contemplative can hardly be made to correspond to what is required of a warrior on a battlefield.”
Where we have agreed with commentary of NG, like on several earlier occasions, we have quoted without commenting. However, here we need to correct a few misconceptions. Again NG is trying to portray as if there is fault in Gita, when he says that “such a contemplative person can hardly become a warrior on the battlefield.” We on the other hand have constantly maintained that Gita is error-free and if there is anything that we have not been able to understand, it is because of dearth of knowledge or understanding capacity, wrong translation or our misguided materialistic nature. When we are not the bhaktas ourselves, as discussed in Gita, how can we comment on the true nature of a bhakta? When we are ourselves engrossed in pursuing materialistic desires, how can we comment on the verse that talks of renunciation of the fruits of action?
A contemplative who does not expects favours, who is clean, expert, who sits unconcerned, carefree, who has relinquished all undertakings and yet who is the greatest of the fighters of his time and who, instead of stopping to initiate any course of action as a conscious agent, actually works to remove the vices, help the poor, bring about peace and justice – if you wish to see in detail, just read the personality of Ali or Husain. We can guarantee that you will find them perfectly fitting the description of all these forms of bhakti, including the most elated state of bhaktas, as described in verses 6-7.
[17]
He who neither rejoices nor hates, nor grieves nor desires, and who has relinquished (both) the beneficial and the harmful, such a one endowed with devotion is dear to Me.
Writes ACBSP: “A pure devotee is neither happy nor distressed over material gain and loss, nor is he very anxious to get a son or disciple, nor is he distressed by not getting them. If he loses anything which is very dear to him, he does not lament. Similarly, if he does not get what he desires, he is not distressed. He is transcendental in the face of all kinds of auspicious, inauspicious and sinful activities. He is prepared to accept all kinds of risks for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Nothing is an impediment in the discharge of his devotional service. Such a devotee is very dear to” God.
For a change, ACBSB is right in his observation here and hence we have quoted him.
[18-19]
He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in honour and dishonour, who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachment;
to whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent (in manner), content with whatever happens to come, having no fixed abode, mentally constant, such a man of devotion is dear to Me.
ACBSB has translated these as follows:
One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honour and dishonour, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service – such a person is very dear to Me.
It is an invitation to modern-day bhakts of Krishna, who chant slogans, roam around with trishuls and see the rest of the world as foes. A true bhakt of God is the same to foe and friend, he remains united in thoughts and actions even he is bestowed with honour or dishonour, and his mental faculties does not change praised or criticized. He remains devoted to God in all acts and situations of life.
[20]
But they who cherish devotedly this righteous immortal value, as stated, endowed with faith, with Me for Supreme, these devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.
ACBSP translates in this manner:
Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me.
Writes NG: “Here it is not the individual devotee conforming to the pattern described in the previous verses who is referred to, but a more general and wider group of persons who legitimately ought to be considered according to the Gita as conforming to the requirements of a devotion of a very high order.”
Clearly, this verse talks of all kinds of people who worship the manifest form of God with bhakti (devotion) conforming to one of the aforementioned types.
Thus ends in the Upanishads of the Songs of God, in the Science of the Wisdom of the Absolute, in the Dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, the Twelfth Chapter entitled Unitive Devotion and Contemplation.
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