180. Form or Formless


At the end of the eleventh chapter (11.55), Krishna says that He can only be attained through bhakti (devotion). Thus, the revered twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called ‘Bhakti Yoga’. Arjuna was terrified and frightened to see the original Form (saakaar) of Krishna (Vishwaroop) and enquires, “Between those who are steadfastly devoted to You (Form) and those who worship the imperishable and unmanifest (Formless -niraakaar, nirgun), whom do you consider to be more perfect in yoga” (12.1)? Incidentally, all cultures have roots in this question.

In the Gita, three broad paths are given. karma (action) for mind-oriented people; sankhya (awareness) for buddhi (intellect) oriented and bhakti (devotion) for heart oriented. Certainly, they are not watertight paths, and a lot of crisscrossing takes place between them and that’s what is reflected in this chapter. Krishna earlier gave a hierarchy and said that the mind is superior to the senses; buddhi is superior to the mind and atma is even superior to buddhi (3.42). He also said that He can’t be attained through Vedas, rituals or charity (11.53). This leads to the conclusion that one reaches Him either through a sequential path of karma-sankhya or through an exponential path (very rare) of surrender. Bhakti is the final step to Paramatma.

Bhakti is beyond our prayers, rituals or chanting to fulfill our desires or remove difficulties. It is the simultaneous state of being a nimitta-maatra (an instrument in His hands) and a shraddha-vaan (one endowed with shraddha - trust). Nimitta-maatra is the realisation that we are merely instruments in His hands, whether favourable or unfavourable outcomes manifest through us. Shraddha is accepting whatever comes our way as His blessings, whether it is to our liking or not. Essentially, it is unconditional love which Krishna described as a state of seeing the self in others, and others in the self; and seeing Him everywhere (6.29).


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