The Hindu Article - Two types of devotion

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

This subject matter of this article pertains to chapter 12 of

Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna asks the Lord - Which of the two forms of

worship by the devotees, with or without a form is considered

superior. The Lord diplomatically explains to Arjun that He doesn't

have any special preference between the two! The author of this

article appears to believe that the devotee who worships the

manifested form of Brahman is superior! This is another interesting

(and important) topic for contemplation.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

Date:29/01/2003 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/29/stories/2003012900760900.htm

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Miscellaneous - Religion

 

Two types of devotion

 

CHENNAI JAN. 29 . God can be worshipped by His devotees with or

without a form. There are arguments in support of both. Which among

the two, however, will please the Lord; a disciple of God Himself

raised such a question after he had listened to an analysis of the

philosophy of life. In His message in the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord

sums up His teaching about the two forms of devotion in reply to

Arjuna's query as to who among them is a better devotee — he who

meditated on the Impersonal God or one who worshipped Krishna as his

all? The Lord's reply was that both the meditative mystic and a

devotee come to Him. But the former's path is one of hard endeavour,

the other's being comparatively easier. The latter throws himself on

His Lord with an exclusive, unwavering devotion when he is pulled out

ere long. God tells Arjuna: "Give Me your mind. I shall cleanse and

polish it. What is essential is that your mind should be dedicated to

Me. You should have faith in Me." Belief reinforced by understanding

gives faith.

 

To remove the agitation in Arjuna's mind, the Lord, after having

shown His universal form, exhorts him to do work for His sake only.

Some devotees, seeking nobody else for their refuge, meditate on Him

with a form. Others do so on the "Imperishable One" who is

Unmanifest. The simple question raised by Arjuna was "Those devotees,

always devout, thus contemplate on You and some others resort to the

same but on the undefined (without form). Which of them is better

versed?"

 

Explaining what the Lord chose to answer, Sri Govind Chaitanya, in a

discourse said that those who worshipped Him with their minds intent

on Him ever harmonised and attuned with supreme faith are the best

devotees. These believers fix their mind on His universal form,

meditate on Him steadfastly endowed with absolute confidence. They

passed their days and nights in incessant thought of Him, "wherefore

it is but proper to speak of them as the foremost of Yogis". The

other category of people, those who contemplate the one with eight

descriptions — the Imperishable, the Indefinable, the Unmanifest, the

Omnipresent, the Unthinkable, the Unchangeable, the Immutable and the

Eternal — having restrained their senses, always equanimous, intent

on the welfare of all beings, they too reach Him. The Lord then

refers to the means adopted by both the types of devotees and how

they strive to approach Him.

 

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[Guest guest]

Namaste.

It was made clear in the Gita that both reach 'Me'.

Lord Krishna conveys about comparative degrees of difficulty in both

the methods. One method, it is said, is easier than the other. The

question remains as to why is one method easier than the other ?

 

Further, is one method a necessary pre-requsite for the other? This

last question also arises because one is more comfortable

with 'objects' to start with than without any objects.

 

Happy Contemplation !!!

 

Regards,

Raghava