Gita and Jijnasu Bhaktha

Jijnasu means desire for the knowledge of God.  A Jijnasu Bhaktha is one who is interested in Iswara Aaradhanam as well as Iswara Jnanam.  In the early stages of Bhakthi, a Jijnasu Bhaktha adopts Ishta Devata Bhakthi, Eka Rupa Bhakthi.  Here he chooses to offer worship to one of the many forms of manifestation of God, including the form of an Avatar like Sri Rama, Sri Krishna etc., as his Ishta Devata.   At this stage Bhaktha’s knowledge of God is as creator, sustainer and destroyer of world; srishti, sthithi, laya kartha.  As Bhakthi matures and knowledge of God also grows, he sees the world itself as a manifestation of God only.  This stage of Bhakthi is called Viswa Rupa Bhakthi. When Jijnasu Bhaktha blossoms into a Jnani Bhaktha, he sees not only God in himself, but he realises God as himself, his very Athma. All the three stages, Lord Krishna presents in his teaching to Arjuna in Kurukshetra. Let us see some instances of those teachings in Gita.

Eka Rupa Bhakthi

In the beginning of Chapter 4, we find Arjuna doubting Lord Krishna’s words that he taught Karma Yoga to Vivaswan. Arjuna openly expressed his doubt how Lord  Krishna, who was only a few years senior to him in age and who was his childhood playmate, could possibly teach this yoga to Vivaswan whose origin was much much earlier. Then Lord Krishna reveals to Arjuna, the secret behind His Avatar and also of various forms of God. In 3-6, we find Lord stating how avatar occurs.

अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन्। (Ajo’pi sannavyayaatmaa bhootaanaam eeshwaro’pi san)

प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय संभवाम्यात्ममायया।।4.6।। (Prakritim swaam adhishthaaya sambhavaamyaatmamaayayaa)

Though I am birthless and deathless, and the Lord of all beings, (still) by keeping My Prakriti under my control, I take birth by means of My own Maya.

Though an Avatar looks the same as any ordinary living being, the big difference is that all other living beings are under the spell of Maya while Maya has no influence over an Avatar and even Prakrithi is Avatar’s slave. And as Arjuna wonders why at all an Avatar should occur, Lord explains the reason also in the next sloka (4-7):

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत। (Yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya glaanir bhavati bharata)  

अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदाऽऽत्मानं सृजाम्यहम्।। (Abhyutthaanam adharmasya tadaatmaanam srijaamyaham) 

O Arjuna, Whenever there is a decline of Dharama and rise of Adharma, then I manifest Myself!

Then He goes on to explain the purpose of the Avatar is to establish Dharma on a strong footing by the destruction of the evil people and for the protection of virtuous people.  Later He explains that though He, as Brahman, is one only, why there are so many forms for worship (7-21).

यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति।(Yo yo yaam yaam tanum bhaktah shraddhayaarchitum icchati)
तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम्।।(Tasya tasyaachalaam shraddhaam taameva vidadhaamyaham)

Whichever form (of a deity) any devotee wants to worship with faith, that very firm faith of his I strengthen.

So He is essentially formless but only for Bhaktha’s convenience to relate to Him, He manifests in many forms. He further explains that He strengthens Bhaktha’s faith in that form of worship by granting him his desire through that form.  The way they seek, the same way He also reaches them.

Viswarupa Bhakthi

After hearing Lord’s Vibuthis, narrated in chapter 10, Arjuna begs of Lord that he may be favoured with the Darsan of His divine form, if He feels Arjuna is worthy of it. Lord blesses Arjuna with a divine eye and reveals to Arjuna His cosmic form, which Arjuna describes as follows (11-16):

अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं  पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम्।( Anekabaahoodaravaktranetram Pashyaami twaam sarvato’nantaroopam)

नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं  पश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप।।( Naantam na madhyam na punastavaadim Pashyaami vishweshwara vishwaroopa)

I see You as possessed of numerous arms, bellies, mouths and eyes; as having infinite forms all around. O Lord of the Universe, O Cosmic Person, I see not Your limit nor the middle, nor again the beginning!

Arjuna sees the entire universe as His manifestation and in that process he sees the one single Reality as infinite manifestations. But he makes a mistake. He considers himself  separate from Cosmic form that envelops entire creation and this evokes fear in him and so he pleads with Lord to go back to the divine form he has known and is familiar with.

Aikya Jnana Bhakthi

In the beginning of chapter 10, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that even Devas  and Rishis do not know His origin and He is birthless, beginningless, Lord of the Universe and from Him everything evolves, Then Arjuna addressing Him as supreme Brahman pleads with Him to reveal in detail His glories, stating His words are like nectar to him and can never satisfy Arjuna’s desire to hear more. Then Lord Krishna starts narrating a few only of His prominent divine attributes as there is no limit to His glories. First one he narrates is (10-20): 

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश  सर्वभूताशयस्थितः। (Ahamaatmaa gudaakesha sarvabhootaashayasthitah)
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च।।(Ahamaadishcha madhyam cha bhootaanaamanta eva cha)

O Arjuna, I am the Athma residing in the hearts of all beings, and I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings.

Lord Krishna here talks about His Vibhuthi as Nirguṇa Brahman, which is the subtlest and the highest order of reality. And that is Chaitanyam, that makes every living being sentient as Pure Consciousness. Its prescence makes the body mind complex throb with life which is beautifully pictured in Kenopanishad (1-2) by description of Brahman as “Eye of the eye, Ear of the ear, Speech of the speech, Mind of the mind and Life of the life”   Brahman is described as of ‘Sat-Chit-Anantha’ Swarupam in Taittreya Upanishad. Through Cosmic form, Lord Krishna revealed the Anantha swarupam. By revealing Himself as Chaitanyam, Chit Swarupam is revealed. As He comes to the end of enumeration of His divine glories, Lord Krishna reveals the Sat Swarupam  as well through the statement (11-39):

यच्चापि सर्वभूतानां बीजं तदहमर्जुन।( Yachchaapi sarvabhootaanaam beejam tadahamarjuna)
न तदस्ति विना यत्स्यान्मया भूतं चराचरम्।।( Na tadasti vinaa yatsyaanmayaa bhootam charaacharam)

And whatever is the seed of all beings, that also am I, O Arjuna! There is no being, whether moving or unmoving, that can exist without Me.

Through this statement Lord Krishna reveals His Sat Swarupam as Brahman by telling “Whatever is, the ‘isness’ of the thing is Me.”  

 

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