bhagavad gita according to gandhi chapter 12

THE BHAGAVD GITAACCORDING TO

GANDHI

T K G NAMBOODHIRITHIRUVALLA, KERALA

Presentation adapted fromThe Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi, Orient

Paperbacks,2011

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHI

T K G Namboodhiri

CHAPTER 12

BHAKTI YOGA


GANDHIINTRODUCTION- Chapter 12

At the end of the last Chapter, Lord Krishna said that only through single-minded devotion one can see the Cosmic-Form of the Lord, understand It & merge with it. So Arjuna wants to know how he can become a devotee of the Lord. To love God means to be free from attachment to any work. Do work without egoistic attachment to it, do it simply for the love of God. In this Chapter on Bhakti Yoga, Lord Krishna describes the technique of devotion.

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerse 12.1

Arjuna said:Of the devotees who thus worship Thee, incessantly attached, & those who worship the Imperishable Unmanifest which are the better yogis?Arjuna wants to know whether worship of the God with form or worship of the Infinite, Unmanifest is better?

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerses 12.2 to 12.4

Those I regard as the best yogis who, riveting their minds on Me, ever attached, worship Me, with the highest faith.But those who worship the Imperishable, the Indefinable, the Unmanifest, the Omnipresent, the Unthinkable, the Rock-seated, the Immovable, the Unchanging,Keeping the whole host of senses in complete control, looking on all with an impartial eye, engrossed in the welfare of all beings--- these come indeed to Me.Sri Krishna tells that both types of worship, worship of the God with form, & the formless God, lead to the Same Ultimate reality. Sense-control, concentration of mind on the object of worship, service to all without any distinction, work for the welfare of all– these are the conditions of worship.

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerse 12.5

Greater is the travail of those whose mind is fixed on the Unmanifest; for it is hard for embodied mortals to gain the Unmanifest goal.The Lord says that devotion to the Unmanifest is difficult to cultivate & it is the harder path to follow. Those who worship the formless Brahman experience greater difficulty in their effort, for it is extremely difficult for us, embodied souls, to know the unmanifest state. The moment we attribute a single quality to God, we cease to worship the Unmanifest.

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerses 12.6 & 12.7

But those who casting all their actions on Me, making Me their all in all, worship Me with the meditation of undivided devotion.Of such, whose thoughts are centred on Me, O Partha, I become ere long the Deliverer from the ocean of this world of death.The Lord states here that those who worship Him, in the manifested form, with single minded devotion, & do all actions as offerings to Me, they will, in time be delivered out of this world of suffering & death. This worship is easier than the worship of the Unmanifest.

T K G Namboodhiri



On Me set thy mind, on Me rest thy conviction; thus without doubt shalt thou remain only in Me hereafter.If thou cannot set thy mind steadily on Me, then by the method of constant practice seek to win Me, O Dhananjaya.Here, Sri Krishna asks Arjuna to worship Him by resting his mind on Krishna with conviction, & gradually Arjuna will be liberated from birth & death, & will merge with the Lord, without doubt.If one is not able to concentrate his mind on the Lord, he may, by constant practice, try to reach Him.

T K G Namboodhiri



If thou art also unequal to this method of constant practice, concentrate on service for Me, even thus serving Me thou shalt attain perfection.If thou art unable even to do this, then dedicating all to Me, with mind controlled, abandon the fruit of action.Shri Krishna gives here two more options for the devotees. If not able to meditate, do service to the Lord. If even this is not possible, dedicate all your work to the Lord & give up your attachment to the fruits of your actions.

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerse 12.12

Better is knowledge than practice, better than knowledge is concentration, better than concentration is renunciation of the fruits of all action, from which directly issues peace. Here knowledge does not mean mere learning; it means genuine experience of truth in however limited a measure. Meditation, which means concentration of the mind, on God, is better than knowledge, but renunciation of the fruit of action is said to be better even than such meditation.

T K G Namboodhiri



Who has ill-will towards none, who is friendly & compassionate, who has shed all thoughts of ‘mine’ or ‘I’ , who regards pain & pleasure alike, who is long-suffering.Who is ever content, gifted with Yoga, self-restrained, of firm conviction, who has dedicated his mind & reason to Me– that devotee of Mine is dear to Me.In the next 8 Verses of this chapter, Lord Krishna describes the qualities in a devotee which will endear him to the Lord. A devotee should be compassionate towards all, he should forgive even his worst enemies. He should be selfless-feels no difference between himself & others, & free from egotism- regards the entire world as his own. He feels that it is not he who does things, but God. He is non-envious. Such a devotee is dear to the Lord.

T K G Namboodhiri



Who gives no trouble to the world, to whom the world causes no trouble, who is free from exultation, resentment, fear & vexation– that man is dear to Me.Who expects naught, who is pure, resourceful, unconcerned, untroubled, who indulges in no undertakings– that devotee of Mine is dear to Me.These verses describe the characteristics of a bhakta in detail. He is pure of both body & mind, he does everything he undertakes, he is wholly in spirit of dedication to God, he remains unaffected even if all his plans come to nothing, he does not go in search of work, but does everything which comes to him by God’s desire. Such a devotee is dear to the Lord.

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerses 12.17 to 12.19

Who rejoices not, neither frets nor grieves, who covets not, who abandons both good & ill--- that devotee of Mine is dear to Me.Who is same to foe & friend, who regards alike respect & disrespect, cold & heat, pleasure & pain, who is free from attachmentWho weighs in equal scale blame & praise, who is silent, content with whatever his lot, who owns no home, who is of steady mind-- that devotee of Mine is dear to Me.A well balanced person, who is firm in his resolve & who is beyond the dualities– such a bhakta is dear to the Lord.

T K G Namboodhiri


GANDHIVerse 12.20

Thy who follow this essence of Dharma, as I have told it, with faith, keeping ME as their goal---- those devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.Here Lord Krishna concludes the chapter with the admonition that those who follow His instructions with faith & sincerity will attain their goal. Such devotees are exceedingly dear to the Lord.

End of Chapter 12.T K G Namboodhiri

bhagavad gita according to gandhi chapter 12

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