B.G 12.01
अर्जुन उवाच
Arjuna said:
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते। ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥१॥
Among those who constantly worship you engaged in devotional service (bhaktāḥ), and those who worship the imperishable unmanifest, i.e. unmanifest insentient principle, Prakrti, who are the most knowledgeable in Yoga?
Gīta Bhāshya 12.01
This chapter explains the means to worship the Lord, indeed considered a means of liberation, having shown its superiority over the worship of the Unmanifest insentient principle, Prakrti. 'avyaktam' - unmanifest insentient principle that is beyond 'mahat'. Here, 'mahat' refers to the ego principle and manifest insentient principle. Prakrti is also known by terms 'Shri', the feminine principle, and 'akṣaram', the imperishable. The term 'paraṁ', the one beyond, is none but the supreme Brahman who has auspicious attributes, but has no material form.
अव्यक्तोपासनात् भगवदुपासनस्य उत्तमत्वं प्रदर्श्य तदुपायं प्रदर्शयति अस्मिन्नध्याये।
Having shown the superiority of worship of the Lord over worship of the unmanifest, the means for that is explained in this chapter.
तदुपासनमपि हि मोक्षसाधनं प्रतीयते-
That worship also is indeed considered a means to liberation.
"श्रियं वसना अमृतत्वमायन्। भवन्ति सत्या समिथा मितद्रौ॥"
"Dwelling on 'śriyam', i.e insentient principle, they attain immortality. They become truthful, harmonized, and measured in battle."
इति।
-stated thus.
"अनाद्यनन्तं महतः परं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तं मृत्युमुखात् प्रमुच्यते॥"
"Having known the beginningless, endless, constant One beyond the 'Mahat', i.e. manifest prakrti, one is released from the mouth of death."
इति च।
- stated thus as well.
अव्यक्तं च महतः परम्- "महतः परमव्यक्तम्" इत्युक्त परामामर्शोपपत्तेः ।
The 'avyaktam', i.e. unmanifest is also beyond the 'mahat', i.e. manifest insentient or ego principle — as stated: "the unmanifest beyond the mahat" (Katha Upa 1.3.11), because a higher reference is justified.
"उपास्य तां श्रियमव्यक्तसञ्ज्ञां भक्त्या मर्त्यो मुच्यते सर्वबन्धैः।"
"Having worshipped that Śrī known as the unmanifest with devotion, the mortal is liberated from all bonds."
इति सामवेदे आग्निवेश्यशाखायाम्॥
- stated thus in the Sāmaveda, Āgniveśya branch.
महच्च माहात्म्यं तस्याः वेदेषु उच्यते-
And her great glory is declared in the Vedas.
"चतुष्कपर्दा युवतिः सुपेशा घृतप्रतीका वयुनानि वस्ते। तस्यां सुपर्णा वृषणा निषेदतुः यत्र देवा दधिरे भागधेयम्॥"
"The four-plaited, well-adorned young woman, resembling ghee, weaves the ritual acts. In her, the winged virile ones sat, where the gods held their share of offerings."
इति।
- stated thus.
"अहं रुद्रेभिर्वसुभिश्चराम्यहमादित्यैरुत विश्वदेवैः॥"
"I move with the Rudras and the Vasus; I move also with the Ādityas and the Viśvadevas."
इत्यारभ्य -
Beginning thus —
"अहं राष्ट्री सङ्गमनी वसूनां चिकितुषी प्रथमा यज्ञियानाम्। तां मा देवा व्यदधुः पुरुत्रा भूरिस्थात्रां भूर्यावेशयन्तीम्। मया सो अन्नमत्ति यो वि पश्यति यः प्राणिति य ईम् शृणोत्युक्तम्। अमन्तवो मां त उप क्षियन्ति श्रुधि श्रुत श्रद्धि वं ते वदामि।"
"I am the queen, uniter of the Vasus, the knower, the foremost among the sacrificers. Me the gods set forth in many places, dwelling richly, entering richly. Through me one eats food, sees, breathes, hears speech. Those ignorant of me perish. Hear, O hearer, what I say with faith to you."
"यं कामये तं तमुग्रं कृणोमि तं ब्रह्माणं त मृषिं तं सुमेधाम्। अहं रुद्राय धनुरा तनोमि ब्रह्मद्विषे शरवे हन्त वा उ।"
"Whom I desire, him I make fierce, a priest, a seer, a wise one. I stretch the bow for Rudra; I shoot the arrow at the brahman-hater — indeed to slay."
"अहं सुवे पितरमस्य मूर्धन् मम योनिरप्स्वान्तः समुद्रे। परो दिवा पर एना पृथिव्यैतावती महिना सं बभूव॥"
"I generate the father on the head of this being. My womb is in the waters, within the ocean. He became extended beyond the heavens and beyond this wide earth by his greatness."
इत्यादि।
- And so on.
"त्वया जुष्ट ऋषिर्भवति देवि त्वया ब्रह्मा गतश्रीरुत त्वया॥"
"Favored by you, one becomes a sage, O goddess; by you, a brahman loses his glory — and by you too."
इति च।
- stated thus as well.
इति शङ्का कस्यचित् भवति। अतो जानन्नपि सूक्ष्मयुक्ति ज्ञानार्थं पृच्छति- एवमिति।
A doubt may arise in someone. Therefore, even though he knows, he asks for the sake of knowledge through subtle reasoning in 'evam' verse.
एवंशब्देन दृष्टश्रुतरूपं "मत्कर्मकृत्" इत्यादिप्रकारश्च परामृश्यते। अव्यक्तं प्रकृतिः। "महतः परमव्यक्तम्" इति प्रयोगात्।
By the word 'evam', forms of seen and heard, such as "performer of My actions" are referred to. The unmanifest is the Prakrti. The common usage is "beyond the 'mahat' is the unmanifest".
"यत्तत् त्रिगुणमव्यक्तं नित्यं सदसदात्मकम्। प्रधानं प्रकृतिं प्राहुः अविशेषं विशेषवत्॥"
"That which is unmanifest with three qualities, eternal, of the nature of existent and non-existent — they call it the chief cause, 'Prakrti', undifferentiated yet appearing as differentiated."
इति च भागवते।
- stated thus as well in the Bhāgavata.
अक्षरं च तत्-
And that is also known as 'akṣaram', the imperishable—
"अक्षरात् परतः परः।"
"He who is beyond 'akṣaram', the imperishable, is the Supreme."
इति श्रुतेः।
- states Vedic testimonials.
परं तु ब्रह्म न हि भगवतोन्यत्-
The 'paraṁ', the one beyond, is none but the supreme Brahman, and there is no other Lord —
"आनन्दमानन्दमयोऽवसाने सर्वात्मके ब्रह्मणि वासुदेवे॥"
"In the end all the blissful beings end in the lord Vāsudeva, the Brahman who is full of bliss"
इति भागवते।
-stated thus in the Bhāgavata.
रूपं च ईदृशं साधितं पुरस्तात्। उपासनं च तथैव कार्यम्-
Such a form has been established previously, and worship likewise must be done —
"सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषः सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात्"
"The Person with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet"
इत्यारभ्य
Beginning thus
"तमेवं विद्वानमृत इह भवति नान्यः पन्था अयनाय विद्यते॥"
"He who knows him thus becomes immortal here; no other path comes to light."
इति साभ्यासा। आदित्यवर्णत्वादिश्च न वृथा उपचारत्वेन अङ्गीकार्यः।
Thus with repetition. The quality of being sun-colored, etc., is not to be accepted as a mere metaphor.
तथा च सामवेदे सौकरायणश्रुतिः-
Similarly, in the Sāmaveda, the Saukarāyaṇa teaching it is stated—
"स्थाणुर्ह वै प्राजापत्यः स प्रजापतिं पितरमेत्य उवाच -
"The firm one, son of Prajāpati, approached his father Prajāpati and said —
मुमुक्षुभिः साधुभिः पूतपापैः किमु ह वै तारकं तारवाच्यम्। ध्यानं च तस्याप्तरुचेः कथं स्यात्। ध्येयश्च कः पुरुषोऽलोमपाद इति।
What is to be called the deliverer by those desiring liberation, the virtuous, freed from sin? How is meditation upon him of true brilliance to be done? Who is the person to be meditated upon — one without hair on the feet?
तं होवाच-
To him, he said —
एष वै विष्णुः तारकोऽलोमपादो ध्यानं च तस्याप्तरुचेर्वदामि॥
This indeed is Viṣṇu, the deliverer, the one with hairless feet. I tell you the meditation on him, who is of true brilliance.
सोऽनन्तशीर्षो बहुवर्णः सुवर्णो ध्येयः स वै लोहितादित्यवर्णः॥
He with endless heads, many colors, golden — he is to be meditated upon. He is of the color of the red sun.
श्यामोऽथवा हृदये सोष्टबाहुरनन्तवीर्योऽनन्तबलः पुराणः॥"
Or dark-hued, he is in the heart, eight-armed, of infinite strength, endless power, the Ancient One."
इत्यादि।
- And so on.
अरूपत्वादेस्तु गतिरुक्ता। पुरुषभेदश्च प्रश्नादौ प्रतीयते- "त्वां पर्युपासते", "ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तम्" इत्यादौ ॥१॥
Due to lord having no material form, this path is stated. The distinction among persons is understood at the beginning of such questions as 'tvāṁ paryupāsate', i.e. "they worship you" and "and those who also worship the unmanifest imperishable."
Gīta Tātparya 12.01
