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
This chapter describes the conclusive and definitive means to be adopted. As Vedic texts prescribes liberation to worshippers of both the sentient Prakrti and the supreme Brahman, Arjuna asks which of the two is better. Based on the response given by the lord - "kūṭasthokṣara ucyate" (the 'kūṭastha' is called 'akṣara'), "kūṭastham acalam" (the immutable and unmoving), we can clearly infer the word 'avyakta', i.e. unmanifest, in the context refers to Sentient Prakrti. She is also known as Śrī, Lakṣmī, Aupalā, Ambikā, and Hrī. Lords subsequent response like: "mayy eva mana ādhatsva" (fix your mind on me alone), "te me yuktatamā matāḥ" (I consider them to be fully engaged in the path), etc. clearly conclude worhip of the lord with devotion is superior.
साधननिर्णयोऽत्र।
This chapter describe the conclusive and definitive means to be adopted.
"श्रिये जातः श्रिय आ निरियाय श्रियं वयो जरितृभ्यो दधाति। श्रियं वसाना अमृतत्वमायन् भवन्ति सत्या समिथा मितद्रौ॥"
"Born from Prakrti, he returns to Prakrti; Prakrti grants vigor to the singers. Dwelling on Prakrti, they attain immortality; being truthful and in agreement, the two wise ones become so."
"उपासिता मुक्तिदा सद्य एव ह्यस्येशाना जगतो विष्णुपत्नी। या श्रीर्लक्ष्मीरौपला चाम्बिकेति ह्रीश्चेत्युक्ता संविदग्र्या सुविद्या॥"
"She who is worshipped, grants liberation immediately; she is indeed the mistress of this world, the consort of lord Viṣṇu. She is known as Śrī, Lakṣmī, Aupalā, Ambikā, and Hrī — the foremost consciousness, the true knowledge."
इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः।
- stated thus in various Vedic testimonials.
"श्रीः सुतुष्टा हरेः तोषं गमयेत् क्षिप्रमेव तु। अतुष्टा तदुतुष्टिं च तस्माद् ध्येयैव सा सदा॥ अव्यक्तं प्रकृतिं प्राहुः कूटस्थं चाक्षरं च ताम्। प्रधानमिति च प्राहुर्महापुरुष इत्यपि। तां ब्रह्म महदित्याहुः परं जीवं परां चितिम्। तस्यास्तु परमो विष्णुः यो ब्रह्म परमं महत्॥"
"Śrī, when pleased, brings Hari’s satisfaction quickly; when displeased, even that satisfaction is affected. Therefore, she must always be meditated upon. She is called the unmanifest, nature, the immutable, the imperishable, the original source, the Great Person, Brahman, the great, the supreme self, the highest intelligence. Viṣṇu is superior to her — who is the supreme Brahman, the great."
इति ब्रह्माण्डवचनाच्च अव्यक्तोपासनात् मोक्षाशङ्कया पृच्छति।
As there are such statements of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāna advocating liberation by the worship of the unmanifest, Arjuna asks due to doubt regarding liberation (which of the two is better?).
"कूटस्थोक्षर उच्यते" इत्युत्तरवचनात् "कूटस्थमचलम्" इत्यत्राप्युक्तेः अव्यक्तशब्दः चित्प्रकृतिवाची। अन्यथा "ये त्वां पर्युपासते", "ये चाप्यक्षरम्", "तेषां के योग वित्तमाः" - इति भेदेन प्रश्नानुपपत्तिः। "परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान्" इति तेनैव उक्तत्वात्।
Because of the subsequent response, “the immutable is called imperishable,” and also “the immutable and unmoving,” the word 'avyakta', i.e. unmanifest, refers to sentient Prakrti. Otherwise, the distinction between “those who worship you” and “those who worship the imperishable” would make the question invalid. Since the same person is said to be the supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, and the purest, that interpretation holds.
ये तु "ते मे युक्ततमा मताः", "मय्येव मन आधत्स्व" - इत्यादौ भगवता उक्तेपि अव्यक्तोपासकानामाधिक्यं वदन्ति ते तु अपलापकत्वात् अतीव साहसिका इति सुशोच्या एव ॥१॥
As the Lord says “fix your mind on me alone”, “I consider them to be fully engaged in the path", the worship of the lord is the most superior path. Despite these clear statements, those who lay claim to the superiority of the worshippers of the unmanifest are evasive and extremely audacious; therefore, they are indeed to be deeply pitied.
