Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 Recap: The Many Ways to Practice Dharma

Hi all, here’s a summary of the Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita by Moksh Somayajula.

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How Should We Worship God?

This is my recap of our discussion on a Bhakti Yoga class. We discussed on how Dharma can remain timeless even as the ways in which we practice and understand it change over time.

Social norms, our customs may change and our beliefs might evolve with time. But the underlying principles of Dharma like truth, self-control, compassion, and equanimity remain timeless.

Arjuna asks Krishna an important question:

If God is universal and present everywhere, is it better to worship God through a physical form, or to worship the divine as an abstract, formless reality?

This leads to two approaches to devotion.

I. Sagunopasana

This is the worship of the divine with Gunas – qualities that we can understand and relate to.

An idol, a deity, a name, a story, or a particular manifestation of God gives the mind something concrete to focus on. The form becomes a way of developing a relationship with something that is ultimately beyond form.

II. Nirgunopasana

This is the worship of the divine without Gunas (abstract) – Contemplation of the divine as the formless, unchanging, universal reality — without limiting God to a particular image, name, or form.

This can be a second stage of devotion to the divine, if this seems too abstract for you.

The important idea is that forms and qualities can become instruments for understanding what is ultimately formless. A physical form does not necessarily limit our understanding of God; it can be a starting point that helps train the mind to eventually recognize the divine everywhere.

Bhakti In Action

What are the three ways in which we can perform Sagunopasana?

1. Fix your mind on the idol
2. Have self control
3. Have faith, but still ask questions

What are the three ways in which we can perform Nirgunopasana?

1. Restrain all senses
2. Be equanimous (balanced mind)
3. Understand everything is a form of God

What Does Krishna Say?

Krishna doesn’t pick one over the other, instead says that both paths can lead toward the same ultimate reality. The form of worship matters less than the transformation taking place within the person who worships.

At the end of our discussion, we talked about which characteristics of true devotees are easy / hard for you?

What would you say?

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Featured image: From Reddit, couldn’t find the username, you can find it HERE. 

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About Sanatana Dharma

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।
अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥

Brahman alone is real; the universe is mithya – neither fully real nor unreal, but an appearance. The individual self (jiva) is none other than Brahman itself, not separate or different. This is the true teaching of the scriptures, as revealed by Vedanta. ~ Verse 20 from Brahma Jnānavali Māla