Gita Bhashya -Sankara 484

Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya

(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)

CHAPTER -12

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Bhakti Yogah

(WAY OF DEVOTION) (Arjuna asks:)


"In the chapters commencing from the second and ending with that describing the Divine Glory[1], the meditation of the Supreme Self (Parmātman), the Imperishable (Aksara) Brahman, devoid of all attributes, has been taught. (As distinguished from this teaching,) the worship of Thyself, the Lord (Iśvara) associated with the condition (upādhi) of Sattva, Who has the divine power of effecting all evolutionary process[2] and the capacity to know everything, has also been taught here and there. And in the Chapter[3] treating of the Universal Form, Thy Primal Form as īśvara, the Universal Form manifested as the entire universe, has been disclosed by Thee for the very purpose of Thy worship; and having disclosed that Form, Thou hast taught me to do work for Thy sake and so on[4]. Therefore, desirous of knowing which of these two alternatives is the better. I question Thee (as follows)":

Arjuna uvāca-
Evam satata-yuktā ye bhaktās-tvām paryupāsate
Ye cāpyaksaram-avyaktatn tesām ke yogāvit-tamāh
Arjuna said-

1. Of these-those devotees who, ever steadfast, thus worship Thee[5], and those also who (meditate on) the Imperishable, the Unmanifested-which are the better-versed in Yoga?

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References and Context

  1. ↑ Chap. X
  2. ↑ (Sarva-yoga) the accomplishment of the processes known as the birth, stay, dissolution, appearance, and restraint, of the entire universe. (A)
  3. ↑ XI
  4. ↑ XI.55
  5. ↑ i.e. lsvara, the Personal God with attributes, of the Universal Form, and therefore, with cosmic functions, as contrasted with "the Imperishable, the unmanifested" which is the attributeless, a-cosmic, Impersonal Absolute (Brahman, Atman).

Related Articles

Gita Bhashya -Sankara
Chapter No Chapter Name Page No
Introduction 2
1. Arjuna visada yogah (Yoga of the Dejection of Arjuna) 6
2. Saiukhya Yogah (Way of knowledge) 22
3. Karma Yogah (Way of action) 96
4. Jnana Karma Saninyasa Yogah (Way of renunciation of action in knowledge) 143
5. Karmasaninyasa Yogah (Way of renunciation of action) 195
6. Divyana Yogah (Way of meditation) 233
7. Saptamo (A) Dhyayah Jnana-Vijnana-yogah (Way of knowledge with realisation) 288
8. Taraka Brahma Yogah (Saving knowledge of Brahman) 319
9. Raja-Vidya Raja-Guhya Yogah (Yoga of kingly knowledge and kingly secret) 348
10. Vibhuti Yogah (Mode of Divine Glory) 385
11. Visvarapa Darsanam (Vision of the Universal Form) 428
12. Bhakti Yogah (Way of Devotion) 484
13. Prakrti-Purusa-Viveka-Yogah (Way of Discrimi­nating Matter and Spirit) 509
14. Guna-Traya-Vibhaga Yogah (The Way of Discriminating the Three Gunas) 589
15. Purusottama Yogah (Way to the Supreme Spirit) 621
16. Daivasura-Sampat-Vibhaga-Yogah (The mode of Dividing Divine and Demminiac Properties) 649
17. Sraddhaa-Traya-Vibhaga Yogah (The Mode of Division of the Three Kinds of Faith) 676
18. Moksa-Samnyasa Yogah (The Yoga of Libera­ tion in Renunciation) 707
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