Bhagwad Gita - Post 141

Verse 1

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Evam satatayuktaa ye

Bhaktaastwaam paryupaasate;

Ye chaapyaksharamavyaktam

Teshaam ke yogavittamaah.

Arjuna said:

Those devotees who, ever steadfast, thus worship Thee and those also who worship the Imperishable and the Unmanifested — which of them are better versed in Yoga?

The question is clear. Arjuna is asking, which one is better, Devotion to God with Form or to the formless, unmanifest God / SELF.

What Krishna has to say about worship of unmanifest God??

Verse 3

Ye twaksharamanirdeshyamavyaktam paryupaasate;

Sarvatragamachintyam cha

Kootasthamachalam dhruvam.

Those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifested, the omnipresent, the unthinkable, the eternal and the immovable,

Verse 4

Samniyamyendriyagraamam

Sarvatra samabuddhayah;

Te praapnuvanti maameva

Sarvabhootahite rataah.

Having restrained all the senses, even-minded everywhere, intent on the welfare of all beings—verily they also come unto Me.

Verse 5

Klesho’dhikatarasteshaam Avyaktaasaktachetasaam;

Avyaktaa hi gatirduhkham

Dehavadbhiravaapyate.

Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the Unmanifested; for the goal — the Unmanifested — is very difficult for the embodied to reach.

While the entire Upanishads teach the truth of Unmanifest God, Krishna says that this path is difficult. Is this verse speaking against Upanishads?? Let us see.

Lord Krishna explains why it is hard ordinarily for seekers to contemplate upon the Formless. "The unmanifest is very hard indeed for the embodied to reach." The crucial word in the stanza is 'embodied.' 

Sri Sankaracharya  clearly explains that the "EMBODIED" means "those who are attached to their bodies." 

Those who are embodied as a person, those who have a consciousness of this body, and those who know that they exist as individuals cannot practice this yoga of utter united ness with the Transcendent Essence.

However, Sri Ramana taught that “TO ABIDE IN SELF” is easier than searching for God outside us.

He used to say in tamil – “Aye, Ati Sulabham Atma Jnanam”. (Atma jnanam is the easiest way).

Sri Ramana said, 

“Ordinarily people regard God as existing outside of themselves and as having a personality like their own. The Jnani (enlightened sage) however regards the personal God (also) as none other than himself.

In his case, devotion is defined as Self-realization."

Speaking on Devotion to God with form, Ramana said, 

"Others, who treat the personal God as something outside themselves develop deep devotion to such a God and finally sink their personality in Him.”

If we connect Ramana’s words of wisdom to Sankara’s commentary given above, we can sum up as follows:-

“To the embodied beings who are attached too much to their body, i.e., their ego, meditating on unmanifest God is difficult.

So, for them, Ramana’s words come true - They seek something outside themselves, develop deep devotion to such a God and finally sink their identity in Him and realize God within.”

(Those who have  identification with their BMI, it becomes important that they search for truth outside their identified ego, so they have to necessarily seek God outside, in form.

For those who, through atma vichara, are easily able to know that their physical identity is limited and there must be something inside them which is actually illumining and making the Body / Mind / Senses function, getting inward to focus and meditate on that inner source (unmanifest God / SELF is more easier)

For both of them (ne, for all human beings), ultimate Goal, the experience less experience when they attain the goal and their state of existence after attaining the goal – SELF - REALIZATION, is exactly the same.

Love.