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?
The next Sunday we left for Dakshineswar early in the morning. During that day’s visit I said to Sri Ramakrishna: “Some people say that God is formless; others say He has form; and still others call Him Krishna, Shiva, or Kali. Could you tell us what the real nature of God is?”
Sri Ramakrishna smiled and said: “He is sometimes with form; He is sometimes formless; and again He is beyond both. He is all-pervading. It is difficult to ascertain His real nature. Just as there is nothing to compare gold with except gold, so there is nothing equal to God. He is the cause of the gross objects as well as of the subtle mind and intellect. For example: The same substance in its solid form is ice; in its liquid form is water; and in its gaseous form is vapour. God manifests Himself according to the mental attitude of the spiritual aspirant. A jnani experiences God as all-pervading, formless space, and a devotee perceives God with a particular form. So if you sincerely want to know the real nature of God, meditate on Him in solitude. Have patience. Surrender yourself to Him and pray. When the right time comes you will see Him.”
I then said, “We enjoy peace when we feel the presence of God in our hearts; otherwise mere intellectual understanding of God and atheism are the same.”
Sri Ramakrishna then replied: “In the beginning one should move forward on the spiritual path holding to an initial faith [i.e., faith in the words of the scriptures and the guru]. One then attains direct perception. There are two kinds of faith — initial faith and real faith [i.e., faith that comes from direct experience]. Be steadfast in the first one and then you will see God.”
— Manomohan Mitra (Source: Ramakrishna as We Saw Him)
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 12 🔻 (20 Verses)
