Arjuna said: Those devotees who worship You with constant devotion, and those who worship the imperishable, unmanifest reality—who among them are the most accomplished in yoga?
— Arjuna
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Bhagavad Gita · 12.1
Hindi · हिन्दी
जो भक्त इस प्रकार निरन्तर आपमें लगे रहकर आपसगुण भगवान् की उपासना करते हैं और जो अविनाशी निराकारकी ही उपासना करते हैं, उनमेंसे उत्तम योगवेत्ता कौन हैं ॥
Read literallyArjuna said · thus · constantly devoted · those who · devotees · You · worship · those who · and · also · the imperishable · the unmanifest · of them · which · most accomplished in yoga
Understanding the verse
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Arjuna asks which devotees know yoga better: those who worship Krishna, or those who worship the formless imperishable.
Arjuna asks whether devoted worship of Krishna or worship of the imperishable, formless reality is the higher yoga.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
Arjuna, still uncertain with the battle waiting, asks Krishna a sharp question: is loving the personal divine better, or is worshipping the unmanifest absolute higher? Chapter 12 begins by comparing two ways of devotion.
03
In your life
What it looks like today
Two cousins argue at a family gathering: one goes to the temple every morning, the other meditates on a formless God. Arjuna brings the same question to Krishna and asks which of them knows yoga better.
The takeaway
“It is honest to ask which form of devotion leads deepest.”
Explore related themes: bhakti(69 verses), akshara(12 verses), avyakta(10 verses)
Common questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 12.1 mean?
Arjuna asks whether devoted worship of Krishna or worship of the imperishable, formless reality is the higher yoga.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 12.1?
Arjuna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Bhakti Yoga" (The Yoga of Devotion).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 12.1?
Verse 1 sits in Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita — Bhakti Yoga, "The Yoga of Devotion". The chapter has 20 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 12.1 matter today?
Two cousins argue at a family gathering: one goes to the temple every morning, the other meditates on a formless God. Arjuna brings the same question to Krishna and asks which of them knows yoga better.
Arjuna asks which devotees know yoga better: those who worship Krishna, or those who worship the formless imperishable.
What this verse means
Arjuna asks whether devoted worship of Krishna or worship of the imperishable, formless reality is the higher yoga.
Context & commentary
Arjuna, still uncertain with the battle waiting, asks Krishna a sharp question: is loving the personal divine better, or is worshipping the unmanifest absolute higher? Chapter 12 begins by comparing two ways of devotion.
What it looks like today
Two cousins argue at a family gathering: one goes to the temple every morning, the other meditates on a formless God. Arjuna brings the same question to Krishna and asks which of them knows yoga better.
“It is honest to ask which form of devotion leads deepest.”
Explore related themes: bhakti (69 verses), akshara (12 verses), avyakta (10 verses)