Bhagavad Gita

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 12: Bhakti Yogam Verse 2:

Bhagavad Gita - krishna

(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

There Is Only One Supreme Entity Which Manifests In Three Ways Brahman, Paramātmā, And Bhagavān

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते |
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मता: || 12.2||

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
mayy āveśhya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate
śhraddhayā parayopetās te me yuktatamā matāḥ|| 12.2||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 12- Ver. 2:

Those who fix their minds on me and are always engaged in my devotion, endowed with absolute faith, are superior in yoga in my opinion.

Explanation

God can be realised at various levels of intimacy. God is perfect and complete, with an infinite supply of energy. Divine Names, Forms, Pastimes, Virtues, Associates, and Abodes abound in his nature. However, He is realised as the formless all-pervading manifestation of God, the Supreme Soul seated in the heart of all living beings, distinct from the individual soul and Bhagavan the Supreme Soul seated in the heart of all living beings, distinct from the individual soul the personal manifestation of God that descends upon the earth.

They are three aspects of the one Almighty God, rather than three separate Gods. Their qualities, however, are distinct. Their physical characteristics, however, differ. Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan are all manifestations of the same Supreme Lord, although they have various attributes.

Brahman is God’s all-pervading form, which is present everywhere. It is brimming with eternality, wisdom, and happiness. However, God does not reveal His boundless qualities, enchanting personal beauty, or lovely pastimes in this way. He resembles a heavenly light that is devoid of traits devoid of attributes and devoid of knowledge without form This aspect of God is worshipped by those who follow the jyana-yoga path. This is a distant realization of God.
The Supreme Lord resides in the hearts of all living beings. He supervises the travels of the souls, who are situated on a machine constituted of material energy, according to their karmas. God, who dwells inside us, keeps track of all our thoughts and acts, accounts for them, and delivers the results at the appropriate time.

God, on the other hand, does not forget what we have done. Since the day we were born, he has kept track of every thought, word, and deed. Not just in this life, either! In infinite lives, God accompanied us wherever we went. He is a wonderful friend who is always there for us. The Paramatma is the aspect of God that dwells within.

God is situated inside, leading to God’s Paramātmā awareness. Paramātmā realization of the Supreme Entity is a closer understanding than Brahman realization.

Bhagavan is a manifestation of God who takes on a human form. For the prosperity of the universe, the Supreme Lord, who is the Soul of all souls, has descended upon the earth in His personal form as Shree Krishna.” God reveals all the sweetness of His Names, Forms, Qualities, Abodes, Pastimes, and Associates in this Bhagavan aspect.

These qualities exist in Brahman and Paramatma as well, but they are latent, similar to how fire is latent in a matchstick and only appears when struck against the matchbox’s igniting strip. As Bhagavan, all of God’s powers and characteristics of personality that were hidden in the other forms are exposed.

Bhakti, or devotion, is the path that leads to the realization of the Supreme Entity in His Bhagavan aspect. As a result, Shree Krishna clarifies Arjuna’s question by stating that the ultimate yogi is the devotee of His personal form.

Verse & what we can learn

Arjuna had previously requested Shri Krishna to choose between those who worship Ishvara as the formless unmanifest and those who worship him as a formless entity bestowed with form. Shri Krishna continues by characterizing followers who worship Ishvara as a formless being. He claims that such devotees are the most advanced yogis because they are always worshipping Ishvara and have great trust.

Three characteristics of superior yoga are addressed here. To begin, we as devotees must be able to focus our minds on Ishvara. Even for ten minutes, maintaining our mind on Ishvara in the early stages of meditation is quite an accomplishment. Second, we must have the ability to remain constantly focused in devotion without allowing the mind to wander. Finally, we must be blessed with steadfast and absolute faith.

These characteristics may appear simple on the surface, but they are not. Shri Krishna uses language to convey that he is seeking the utmost level of attention and faith. But what it truly means is that we use our thoughts to infiltrate, or permeate, the object of our concentration. This type of concentration necessitates a mentality that is devoid of selfish desires and attachments to material possessions. Our level of faith strengthens our ability to stay focused on our goal.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

How does Shri Krishna feel about devotees who worship Ishvara as the unmanifest? This is what follows in next shloka.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *