Gita : Ch-12. Slo-5. Discussion-1.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita :

Chapter-12. ( Bhakti-yogam)

Slokam - 5. (For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progrese in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.)


klesodhikatarastesham  avyaktasaktacetasam,

avyakta  hi  gatirduhkham  dehavadbhiravapyate.


avyakta  sakta  cetasam  tesham  =  unmanifested,  being  attached,  of  those  whose  minds,  of  them;

klesam  adhikatarah  =  the  suffering  of  troublesome;

hi,  avyakta   gatih  =  why  because,  in  the  practice  of  Nirgunopasana;

dehavadbhih  =  for  those  body-minded  persons;

duhkham  avapyate  =  for  them,  hardship  only  available  in  the  life.


Discussion-1.


The original question at the commencement of this chapter was whether it was better to directly worship the Supreme Lord by bhakti or excluisve loving devotion or to worship the impersonal, unmanifest brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence.

Herein Lord Krishna explains the difficulties of worshipping the impersonal, unmanifest brahmam.


The path to reaching the unmanifest brahman is covered with difficulties.

The word gati means the path or the way.

The path adopted by the worshipers of the unmanifest brahman is very difficult.

They must perform intense meditation, rigid restraint of the senses, compassion for all living entities, consistent purity in thought and actions, equanimity to the dualities such as censure and praise, joy and grief, pain and pleasure, etc; but to be successful it is essential that the grace of the Supreme Lord is bestowed.

But without the grace of His sakti or spiritual feminine potency who is known as Sri Lakshmi and is represented by the unmanifest the grace of the Supreme Lord can not be possible and propitiation to her alone without Him displeases her and bequeaths no chance for realising the Supreme Lord and likewise no opportunity for moksham
.

This is true even if she is opulently worshipped.

The worship of the unmanifest brahman does not focus on a personal form of the Supreme Lord possessing qulaities and attributes and by whose grace is required to receive the grace of Sri Lakshmi who in turn blesses the aspirant and bestows perception of the infinite unmanifest.

This is why this path is so difficult.

Yet and still if someone, somehow or other are graced by Sri Lakshmi due to association with or service to one of the Supreme Lords devotees, then facilitation to realisation of the Supreme Lord would immediately take effect and this is the most conducive means to achieve this.

Thereafter those who exert effort in propitiating the unmanifest brahman will have the insight to properly propitiate the Supreme Lord as well and directly receive the desired result.

To be continued  ...