Gita Chapter 12

Bhakta Shiromani

Gita Chapter 12

Summary of key messages;

Saguna vs Nirguna
Saakaar  vs Nirakar

Both can be realized by the one who has the following qualities:

Ananya Bhakti
Mind fixed on Lord only
Intellect fixed on Lord only
Firm Faith in Him only
Engage in the good of the others
Perform all actions as an offering to the Lord
Perfom all actions without being attached to the outcome.

BUT:

Realizing the Niraakar or Nirguna is very difficult for the one with the physical body.  Therefore for the devotee who posseses the above qualities, he can realize The Lord and reach the same Supreme abode while worshipping the Saguna, Saakar form of The Lord.  And it is relatively lot easier.  ( It is lot easier to relate to the form than to the formless, it is easier for us humans to relate to a form which we can toucn, see and feels with the physical senses )

Lord gives four easy ways for the devotee to be able to realize the Lord:

Think of Him only all the time  or
Steadfastly engage in spiritual practice or
Offer all your actions as an offering to The Lord  or
Perform all actions without attachment to the fruits of actions.  ( They will happen no matter what )

Lord also describes the qualities of a Bhakta in verses 13 - 19.  some of these qualities include loving, compassionate, equanimous, non clinging, friendly, kind, non egoist, forgiving,  having offered his mind and intellect to The Lord, one who is neither disturbed by others nor disturbs others, firmly established in the pursuit of his sadhana.


These are some of the many qualities described in this chapter.

Gita Chapter 7

Gita Chapter 7

The focus in the last five chapters was primarily on NISHKAAM Karma.  Now the focus shifts to NISHKAAM Bhakti.  The core message and the most important take home message from this chapter is NISHKAAM BHAKTI towards Lord only.    Also Lord is going to give a glimpse in His true nature.

Lord is going to give a glimpse of His true nature to Arjuna.  Focus is now going to shift from Arjuna and his actions to the true nature of Divinity and Lord himself.  Once truly understood this knowledge of the Lord will have liberating effect for teh devotee.   Lord puts forth qualities a devotee need to have:

Thinking only of Me

Devoted only to Me

Loving only Me

If you have theses qualities, you are qualified to know Him.:

Trying to understand Him is not easy.  Of the millions who try only a rare one is actually able to truly know Him.

He is  in everything that you can see and can not see.  Material and non material both.  He is in earth, water, fire, air and space.  He is in sun, moon etc.  There is nothing that He is not present in.    He is Omnipresent.  Even three gunas of prakriti can not exist without Him.  He is the source of their existence although He is not affected by them like us human beings are. 

  He is also immanent across time.  he always was, is and will be.  He knows what has ever happened, whatever is happening and whatever is going to happen.  One can make a garland with a cotton thread.  The beads of garland are made by weaving knots from the same  thread.  so these knots look different but they still are made up  of the thread itself.  Similarly it may appear that all these things that we see are different but they are nothing but He alone manifesting in all these forms.   

Sakaam vs Nishkaam Bhakti

Human beings are so influenced by the myriad manifestations and play of three gunas of Prakriti that they are not able to see the TRUE SOURCE that exists beyond these three gunas and they engage in all kinds of Sakaam bhakti.  They engage in all kinds of worship of different dieties and devas desiring woeldly things.    It is the law of cause and effect that their actions  bear fruits.  Although Devas  grants them the fruits of their bhakti, but these fruits are temporary in nature.  Lord calls these Alpabuddhi( individuals with limited  knowledge)  as opposed to Jnani.    These alpabudhi ignorant  humans are constatntly striving after their  material worldly  desires.  They are always under the grips of the Duality Complex ( Sukh-dukha, laabh-haani, heat-cold, love-hatred etc)  These strivings cloud their true knowledge and this ignorance causes them to not realize Lord's true nature.

  But the the one who is a Jnani ( has realized wisdom) that one does not go after the worldly gains. He is endowed with EKBHAKTI ( senses, body, mind and intellect are all the time engrossed in Lord ONLY ).  This Ekbhakti leads him to Lord only and  he reunites with Lord.   His Bhakti is also Nishkaam.  He does not ask for anything in return for his bhakti towards the Lord. Such Jnanis  easily realize and gain true understanding of  what  Brahman, Karma and Spirituality are.  And that allows them to understand the true nature of the Lord.