अर्जुन उवाच |
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते |
ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमा: || 1||
arjuna uvācha
evaṁ satata-yuktā ye bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate
ye chāpy akṣharam avyaktaṁ teṣhāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ
arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; evam—thus; satata—steadfastly; yuktāḥ—devoted; ye—those; bhaktāḥ—devotees; tvām—you; paryupāsate—worship; ye—those; cha—and; api—also; akṣharam—the imperishable; avyaktam—the formless Brahman; teṣhām—of them; ke—who; yoga-vit-tamāḥ—more perfect in Yog
Translation:
Arjuna said: Thus, those who worship You, ever steadfast, and also those who meditate on the unmanifest Imperishable Brahman of the two types of seekers, who are superior knowers of yoga?
Commentary:
evam: (‘thus’): This word refers to the last verse (matkarmakrit etc.) in the previous Discourse.
Arjuna’s question is simple and clear. Who are superior – those who worship the Divine form, as the Cosmic Manifestation, or the four-armed Vishnu, or the cowherd boy of Brindavan (sagunopasaka) – or those who meditate on the formless, attributeless Brahman (nirgunopasaka)? In the 2nd Discourse the Lord has declared the deathless and birthless reality of Atma, and in the 8th Discourse, he has explained the Nirguna aspect as Imperishable Brahman. It is quite natural for Arjuna to question the Lord about the superior excellence of either of the two. Arjuna’s question is the question of all seekers in the world – which is the better method of worship – Saguna or Nirguna?
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 12 🔻 (20 Verses)
