After explaining how the goal reached by all meditators is one and the same Supreme Perfection, Lord Krishna tries to compare the two incomparable ‘Paths’, both of equal efficacy and merit. He says “GREATER IS THE TOIL OF THOSE WHOSE THOUGHTS ARE FIXED ON THE UNMANIFEST.” This declaration, when read as such and in itself, is not only an advocacy of the ‘Path-of-Devotion’ to a PERSONAL GOD, but almost amounts to a positive condemnation of meditation upon the Formless. Such an erroneous and misleading interpretation will render the Geeta a scripture that contradicts the ‘eternal wisdom’ of the Upanishads. And yet, there are vocal champions of devotion (Bhakti), who quote this half stanza to beguile the faithful!

The first line is commented upon and elucidated by the following line in the stanza. Lord Krishna explains why it is hard ordinarily for seekers to contemplate upon the Formless. “THE UNMANIFEST IS VERY HARD INDEED FOR THE EMBODIED TO REACH.” The crucial word in the stanza is ’embodied.’ It is often very directly understood to mean “all those who have a physical structure.” The absurdity of such an understanding would become evident if we follow the natural corollary of such an interpretation. If all those who are having a physical body can meditate only upon the form of the Lord, then it follows that pure meditation upon the Formless is to be undertaken only after the body is dropped and the seeker is dead.

Shri Shankaracharya, therefore, clearly explains that the “EMBODIED” means “those who are attached to their bodies.” Sunk in flesh, if one personality lives only a life of sensuality and satisfaction of one’s body-cravings, one will find it too difficult to take to steady and continuous meditation upon the subtle theme of the Infinite, Formless and All-pervading. An old man whose vision is lost and whose hands are shaky, may find it very difficult to thread a needle; so too, a mind and intellect agitated, panting and restless, suffering from desire-plays, are not vehicles that can successfully fly beyond the frontiers of names and forms to the endless Spiritual Glory.

In short, to the majority of us, meditation upon the Lord, as expressed in the Universe, is easier and more profitable. Man can worship the myriad forms through service undertaken in a spirit of worship and divine dedication. By doing so, the body-attachments and sense-appetites get purged from his inner make-up and his mind ecomes

subtle enough to conceive and contemplate upon the Formless and the Imperishable Unmanifest.

EVEN THOUGH, LATER ON, WE SHALL MEET WITHIN THIS CHAPTER, THE WAY OF LIFE PRESCRIBED FOR MEN CONTEMPLATING UPON THE ‘MANIFEST, ‘ HEREUNDER WE SHALL FIND THE DISCIPLINES IN LIFE FOR A STUDENT WHO IS TRYING TO STEADY THE MIND THROUGH HIS DEVOTION FOR THE ‘MANIFEST-LORD’:

Tesam, for them; avyakta-asakta-cetasam, who have their minds attached to the Unmanifest; klesah,the struggle; is adhika-tarah, greater. Although the trouble is certainly great for those who are engaged in works etc. for Me, still owing to the need of giving up self-identification with the body, it is greater in the case of those who accept the Immutable as the Self and who kept in view the supreme Reality. Hi, for; avyakta gatih, the Goal which is the Unmanifest-(the goal) which stands in the form of the Immutable; that is avapyate, attained; duhkham, with difficulty; dehavadbhih, by the embodied ones, by those who identify themselves with the body. Hence the struggle is greater. We shall speak later of the conduct of those who meditate on the Unmanifest.