Geetai - Adhyay 12

Chapter - XII : Devotion with and without Form.

In this chapter, Arjuna asks the question that there are two types of devotees - one who worship the image to grasp and experience spiritual thought and the other grasp the thought directly and act accordingly in search of an experience. Which of the two is better? Vinobaji says that question of Arjuna is similar to asking the mother - which of your two sons are dearer to you? What can the poor mother reply? If at all a reply is pressed for, she would say the younger son because he needs the presence of mother more than the elder one. Similar answer is given by Shri Krishna that if at all answer is needed, one with form is closer to me.

Vinobaji has illustrated this answer by referring to the famous epic 'Ramayana'. When Rama is going to the forest for fourteen years, his younger brother Laxman pleads that he too wants to accompany him. When Rama disuades him not to do so by an argument, Laxmana puts stop to the argument like this 'O Rama I have grown up nourished by your love. I am only a child. I cannot bear the burden of living here without you.' He accompanies Rama for 14 years. This is worship with form or image.

However, Tulsidasji describes that when Rama left for forest, Bharat his other younger brother was not in Ayodhya. When he reached home, his father had died and Royal Guru Vashishtha advises him to assume the rule of the state. But Bharata answers that 'first I must see Rama before I decide this question. He makes arrangements for running the administration. His line of thinking is 'Kingdom belongs to Rama. To arrange for the administration is like doing Rama's work. Devotion to Rama means carrying out his work; else what good is the devotion? This is the devotion without form.

This classical example of Formless Devotion ends with following dialogue between the brothers Bharat says, 'Rama my Lord, I shall humbly do your bidding. Whatever you say, r shall not doubt or question. But as he prepares to leave, he turns to Rama and says, Sir, my heart is yet unreconciled. I feel as if I have lost something. 'Rama at once understood his yearning and gave him one of his personal effects as symbol in place of Rama. Though Bharata was firm in his loyalty to duty and principle, he too needed the living warmth of the symbol. This is Devotion without Form.

The chapter ends with following words from Shree Krishna 'Arjuna, it does not matter whether you are devotee with or without form. More important is to become a devotee with all your heart.

गीताई - अध्याय १२

[३७]

अर्जुन म्हणाला

असे मिसळले कोणी तुज भक्त उपासिती ।
कोणी अक्षर अव्यक्त योगी ते थोर कोणते ॥ १ ॥

श्री भगवान् म्हणाले

रोवूनि मन माझ्यात भजती नित्य जोडिले ।
श्रद्धेने भारले माझ्या ते योगी थोर मानितो ॥ २ ॥

परी अचिंत्य अव्यक्त सर्व-व्यापी खुणेविण ।
नित्य निश्चळ निर्लिप्त जे अक्षर उपासती ॥ ३ ॥

रोधिती इंद्रिये पूर्ण सर्वत्र सम जाणुनी ।
माझ्या कडे चि ते येती ज्ञानी विश्व-हिती रत ॥ ४ ॥

अव्यक्ती गोविती चित्त क्लेश त्यांस विशेष चि ।
देहवंतास अव्यक्ती सुखे बोध घडे चि ना ॥ ५ ॥

परी जे सगळी कर्मे मज अर्पूनि मत्पर ।
अनन्य भक्ति-योगाने भजती चिंतुनी मज ॥ ६ ॥

माझ्यात रोविती चित्त त्यास शीघ्र चि मी स्वये ।
संसार-सागरांतूनि काढितो मृत्यु मारुनी ॥ ७ ॥

[३८]

मन माझ्यात तू ठेव बुद्धि माझ्यात राख तू ।
म्हणजे मग निःशंक मी चि होशील तू स्वये ॥ ८ ॥

जाईल जड माझ्यात चित्तास करणे स्थिर ।
तरी अभ्यास-योगाने इच्छूनि मज मेळवी ॥ ९ ॥

अभ्यास हि नव्हे साध्य तरी मत्कर्म आचरी ।
मिळेल तुज ती सिद्धि मत्कर्म हि करूनिया ॥ १० ॥

न घडे हे असे कर्म योग माझ्यात साधुनी ।
तरी सर्व चि कर्माचे प्रयत्ने फळ सोड तू ॥ ११ ॥

प्रयत्ने लाभते ज्ञान पुढे तन्मयता घडे ।
मग पूर्ण फल-त्याग शीघ्र जो शांति देतसे ॥ १२ ॥

कोणाचा न करी द्वेष दया मैत्री वसे मनी ।
मी माझे न म्हणे सोशी सुख-दुःखे क्षमा-बळे ॥ १३ ॥

सदा संतुष्ट जो योगी संयमी दृढ-निश्चयी ।
अर्पी मज मनो-बुद्धि भक्त तो आवडे मज ॥ १४ ॥

जो न लोकांस कंटाळे ज्यास कंटाळती न ते ।
हर्ष शोक भय क्रोध नेणे तो आवडे मज ॥ १५ ॥

नेणे व्यथा उदासीन दक्ष निर्मळ निःस्पृह ।
सोडी आरंभ जो सारे भक्त तो आवडे मज ॥ १६ ॥

न उल्लासे न संतापे न मागे न झुरे चि जो ।
बरे वाईट सोडूनि भजे तो आवडे मज॥ १७ ॥

सम देखे सखे वैरी तसे मानापमान हि ।
शीत उष्ण सुखे दुःखे करूनि सम मोकळा ॥ १८ ॥

निंदा स्तुति न घे मौनी मिळे ते गोड मानितो ।
स्थिर-बुद्धि निराधार भक्त तो आवडे मज ॥ १९ ॥

जे धर्म-सार हे नित्य श्रद्धेने मी चि लक्षुनी ।
सेविती ते तसे भक्त फार आवडती मज ॥ २० ॥

अध्याय बारावा संपूर्ण