Bhakti Yoga – The Yoga of Devotion
A Commentary On The 12th Chapter of The Bhagavad Gita
A Fundamental Question
Arjuna asked:
Who are considered to have greater knowledge of yoga:
Those devotees who, always united with You, worship
You, or those who worship the imperishable
and unmanifest invisible absolute nature, which of these two
have the greater knowledge of yoga?
–Bhagavad Gītā 12.1
The fundamental process of yoga (alignment) is to discern the Self from the non-Self; to distinguish the Real from the false, and the Permanent from the perishable. The methodologies to achieve this are enshrined in various disciplines and techniques, and consequently, the paths are manifold. However, the ultimate objective is to abide in the Self, which is the Self of All: the point where individual consciousness ceases and merges into the sum total of Consciousness, which is of the nature of absolute intelligence. In other words, we, the conscious life principles (jīva), upon the realisation of oneness, do not "go" anywhere—such as a heaven—because there is only the absolute nature of oneness (Brahman), which is ever-existent and imperishable.
The distinct, personal nature of individual consciousness exists due to a metaphorical prism of light. The result is a visible spectrum of colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This mirrors the optical principle that creates a rainbow when sunlight passes through raindrops. A beam of white light—like sunlight—enters one of the flat sides of a triangular prism. In this first refraction, as the light enters the prism from the air, it decelerates and bends. Since each colour possesses a unique wavelength, each bends by a slightly different degree. Violet light (the shortest wavelength) bends the most, while red light (the longest wavelength) bends the least. In this dispersion, different colours are separated and travel along slightly divergent paths—a testimony to the diversity that exists around us.
In the second refraction, the now-separated light beams exit the prism's second flat surface and bend again, further increasing the separation between the colours; in our context, this causes further division within our consciousness. The three modes of nature, the guṇas—sattva (illumination), rajas (activity), and tamas(inertia)—manifest due to this prism and subsequently rule life. When sattva abounds, our consciousness approximates the white light; when tamas abounds, the second refraction unfolds fully before us.
The aim of the soul (jīva) is to return to a non-prism state of consciousness—to the white light. That is the state of the imperishable, unmanifest, and indivisible Absolute Nature. As asked above in the holy Gītā, regarding which of the two paths is preferred by the Lord Himself, the answer is delivered univocally:
Those who meditate on Me, who have merged their
minds into Me, who are permanently established in alignment (yoga),
possessed of supreme faith, them I consider most perfect
in alignment.
–Bhagavad Gītā 12.2
The univocal answer is the worship of the Supreme Self.
Krishna in the Gītā is represented as the Supreme Self (white light), while Arjuna represents the jīva (the refracted prism light)—the minute, finite self who has yet to realise the greatness of the absolute oneness represented by the white light of the sun. The sun is considered Ātmakāraka, or the ruler of the self. Therefore, the most quintessential yogic exercise or worship is called Sūryanamaskaram—salutation to the sun. Through the process of yoga, a yogī becomes one with the light of the sun, devoid of any prism. The highest devotion is thus reserved for contemplating Ātman, the Self.
Or, as my Guru once said:
“You are a candle. By the devoted practice of yoga, your flame becomes brighter and brighter until it merges with the light of the sun. No difference. No separation.”
—Yogaviśārada Śrī BNS Iyengar
Alignment Through Devotion
Bhakti yoga, or alignment through devotion, is therefore a continuous contemplation of one’s own real nature, termed nididhyāsana (assimilation) in Sanskrit.
When service is performed to please the senses, it is selfishness.
When service is performed to aid the needy, it is compassion.
And when service is performed to seek knowledge of the Real Self, it is devotion.
Devotion leads to faith, and faith leads to the contemplation of the Supreme Self—immanent in all beings.
But those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable,
the unmanifest, the all-pervading, the unimaginable,
the unchanging and the immovable, the constant,
By controlling all the senses, even-minded under all
circumstances, rejoicing in the welfare of all creatures,
they also attain Me.
The trouble of those whose thoughts are set on the
Unmanifest is greater, for the abode of the unmanifest
is hard to attain by embodied beings.
—Bhagavad Gītā 12.3-4
Those devoted to the unmanifest—which is nothing but one’s own Self—engage in superimposing qualities upon the Self, such as being sinless, sorrow-less, immortal, and free from hunger or thirst. First, they must cognitively attribute these qualities to the Self, and only then meditate on the Ātman as being sinless, immortal, or devoid of hunger and thirst.
It is clearly stated that the difficulty in the worship of the unmanifest lies in its very lack of manifestation; therefore, it is arduous for those who are manifest—the embodied beings (jīva-s)—to attain it.
Here, the body is positioned as an auxiliary, a tool through which actions conducive to self-realisation are performed by the body-mind entity.
The scriptures prescribe three types of activities that result in self-realisation:
1. Śravaṇa (hearing)
2. Manana (reflecting)
3. Nididhyāsana (assimilating).
Śravaṇa (hearing): This entails listening to discourses on scriptures such as the Upaniṣadas, Brahma Sūtras, and the Bhagavad Gītā from an insightful master who is himself anchored in the Absolute Nature. The aim is to acquire a lucid understanding of the four great truths (mahāvākyas):
1. “Prajñānam Brahma” (Awareness is the Absolute Oneness)
2. "Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi" (I am the Absolute Oneness)
3. “Tat Tvam Asi” (That Thou Art)
4. “Ayam Ātmā Brahma” (This very Self is of the nature of the Absolute Oneness)
These four constitute an intellectual endeavour. While it provides a theoretical understanding to clear doubts, it specifically addresses the intellectual skepticism regarding the non-dual nature of existence.
Manana (reflection): Subsequent to hearing, the aspirant engages in intellectual reflection, utilising logic and reasoning to analyse the teachings and resolve any doubts or contradictions. The goal is to gain a firm foothold in the true nature of the teachings by removing any logical impossibilities that impair the truth.
Nididhyāsana (assimilation): This is the stage where the intellectual knowledge gained in śravaṇa and fortified by manana is fully assimilated into one's being. It is through meditation that the internalisation of truth occurs. It moves from intellectual reasoning to being enshrined in the Absolute Nature of oneness. Nididhyāsana removes the faults and habits deeply ingrained in our karma—specifically, the tendency to identify with the body and its evolutions, such as the mind and intellect, even after the intellect is convinced otherwise.
Nididhyāsana unfolds through affirmation:
Firstly, we affirm that we are not this body and mind: “I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am the witness of all. I am of the nature of Absolute Oneness.”
Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as "spiritual life." It is an oxymoron to call oneself spiritual. This is a material world, and everyone within it is, by default, a materialist. The only moment we can legitimately use the word "spiritual" is when there is a complete realisation that we are neither this body, nor the mind, nor the intellect. Only then does spiritual life begin in earnest.
Secondly, we apply the awareness of the above into daily life. The practitioner must maintain a constant awareness of the pure, undefiled Self amidst all activities, thoughts, and situations. When unfavourable emotional reactions arise, the aspirant must utilise them as a trigger for contemplation:
"Who is feeling this emotion?”
"Is my true nature affected by this?"
“The witness of this experience is unchanging.”
“I am that witness.”
Refocusing on the nature of the Absolute Oneness is achieved through regular meditation.
Through continuous practice, we eradicate the deep-seated tendencies and mental habits (vāsanās) that cause suffering due to identification with the impermanent. These are then replaced with the full-blown realisation of the permanent nature of the Self.
Lastly, when no active effort is required to abide in the spontaneous state of being—the absolute nature of oneness—and where the dualistic sense of “I am contemplating” and “the subject is being contemplated” dissolves, it is termed samādhi—effortless absorption. Here, there is no "you"; only the Absolute Oneness exists. Everything is perceived as Brahman, the infinite absolute oneness – the substratum of all.
The Practice
Nididhyāsana is a profound manifestation of the natural state of consciousness, where the intellectual route of “I Am That” transmutes into “Being That”.
The process of śravaṇa, manana, and nididhyāsana is further elucidated in the following verses of the Gītā:
But for those who, meditating on Me, renounce their
actions in Me, take Me as their highest goal, worship
Me with one-pointed alignment (yoga)
For those whose mind has merged with Me,
I will soon be the deliverer from the ocean of
continuous births and deaths, O Pārtha.
Merge your mind with Me alone
and establish your intellect in Me,
Having thus become established in union (yoga),
you will live in Me.
—Bhagavad Gītā 12.6-8
When one develops a specific type of knowledge through the practice of any yoga method—such as postures (asana), breathing techniques (prāṇāyāma), mantra, or deep meditation(dhyāna) —that knowledge should not be mistaken for the permanently manifested, natural state of the conscious Self. The true Self can be experienced here and now, across all three states of consciousness: the awakened state, the dream state, and deep sleep.
However, when one takes recourse to consciousness by bringing it under control without reliance on a specific method, the "fire of consciousness" is immediately cognised. Consciousness, showing no regard for the body, becomes perfectly manifested as the Self of all, delivered from the ocean of continuous births and deaths.
If, however, you are unable to firmly place your mind
in Me, then seek to attain Me by the practice of yoga,
O Winner of Wealth.
If you are unable to seek Me through the practice
of yoga, then devote yourself entirely to My works;
even by performing actions for My sake you will attain
Perfection.
—Bhagavad Gītā 12.9-10
Absorption is difficult to obtain without the grace of God and Guru. As the adage goes: “When a student is ready, the guru comes.”
It is essentially very, very difficult—nearly impossible—to attain such consciousness entirely alone. The grip of karma is too powerful for a mere mortal to extricate themselves unaided. Hence, the second, more common path to perfection becomes essential. Called sādhana bhakti, it is a process of worshipping the Lord and surrendering to Him. This practice belongs to the realm of saguṇa brahman—the absolute nature of oneness with attributes or form.
To return to the aforementioned prism of light: if the white light is the undefiled, eternal, and self-sustained absolute nature of oneness, the first refraction of that prism is the absolute nature taking on a myriad of forms. Those forms are known collectively as Īśvara, the Lord. In other words, God approaches us in many forms because He is a refraction of the original oneness. Īśvara acts as the medium between the Light and the second refraction, which is the jīva (the individual soul conditioned by the modes of nature). It is a reverse process of light—the jīva connects with the chosen Lord (Iṣṭa devatā), becomes one with that Lord, and by the Lord’s grace, the immortal absolute nature of oneness is attained, termed as mokṣa (liberation). Brahman is mokṣa, mokṣa is Brahman; The Absolute Oneness is of the nature of Absolute Freedom.
The worship of the Lord is a nine-step path. The Lord is chosen based on astronomical calculations of the nine planets and stars (nakṣatras). Alternatively, the form a practitioner (sādhaka) naturally fancies among the Lords can be adopted. The Lord is composed of sound, which is chanda (meter), attained by the repetition of the Lord’s name (mantra); the geometrical form corresponding to that sound (yantra); and lastly, physical presence in the form of a deity (mūrti) that has been impregnated by the sound vibrations of prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā—literally “invoking the life”. Such a deity becomes alive and responsive, hence the name mūrti (the one who responds). Once prepared for worship, the nine-step sādhana bhakti can commence:
Śravaṇam — Hearing (the Lord's glories)
Kīrtanam — Chanting (the Lord's name)
Smaraṇam — Remembering (the Lord)
Pāda sevanam — Serving the Lord's feet
Arcanam — Deity worshiping
Vandanam — Offering obeisance
Dāsyam — Servitude
Sakhyam — Friendship
Ātma-nivedanam — Complete surrender
If you are incapable of doing even this, then resort
to union with Me, renounce the fruits of action and act
with self-control.
—Bhagavad Gītā 12.11
This is a direct call for Ātma-nivedanam—complete surrender: “I move when You want me to move. I speak when You want me to speak, and all the work I have done with the agency of the senses (body) and mind is Your work… I surrender to You; please deliver me from the ocean of ignorance.”
A devotee proclaims and acts in complete dependence on the will of the chosen Lord. This is alignment (yoga) through sādhana bhakti—the practice of devotion.
Better indeed is knowledge than practice, better than
knowledge is meditation, better than meditation is the
renunciation of the fruits of action, because peace immediately
follows renunciation.
—Bhagavad Gītā 12.12
Better than mechanical practice is the knowledge that leads to absorption in the absolute nature of oneness. This is because such knowledge arises on account of the practice. However, meditation—which is a direct alignment with the Lord, the Supreme Self within—is superior even to knowledge. This is because it generates a unique knowledge that excels all other forms; only when there is complete identification with the Lord is it possible to renounce the results of action and become a non-doer (“…and all the work I have done with the agency of the senses and mind is Your work”).
But with the renunciation of the results of actions, peace follows.
Knowledge that leads one to absorption is the primary root that leads to all other types of knowledge.
The Qualities of a Devotee
He who has no ill feeling for any being,
who is friendly and compassionate,
free from the desire to possess and the feeling of I-ness,
even-minded in pain and pleasure and patient,
The yogin who is ever content, who is always self-integrated,
controls his senses and is unshakable in determination,
whose mind and intellect are surrendered to Me,
who is My devotee, he is dear to Me.
–Bhagavad Gītā 12.13-14
It is consequently natural for one who has become the Self in All to harbour no ill feelings, and to be free from the compulsion to possess objects and subjects. Such a person is devoid of "I-ness," for the mortal self has become non-existent in the face of pain and pleasure.
A yogin whose internal sense organs remain established in the self,
even while he is engaged in daily activities
is considered always self-absorbed.
He from whom the world does not shrink and
who does not shrink from the world,
he who is free from joy and anger, fear and agitation,
is dear to Me.
The devotee who is unconcerned, pure, skilled,
indifferent, and free from anxiety,
who has abandoned the fruit of all initiative,
is dear to Me.
He who neither rejoices nor hates,
neither grieves nor desires,
who has renounced merit and demerit,
one who is full of devotion in this way
is dear to Me.
He who treats alike enemy and friend,
grace and disgrace, cold and heat, pleasure and pain,
who is free from attachment,
who is balanced in blame and praise, silent, content with anything,
free from the routine of daily activities,
possessing a stable mind,
who is full of devotion in this way
is dear to Me.
—Bhagavad Gītā 12.15-19
All the qualities described above are the result of absorption, which warrants union with a chosen deity (Lord). While these qualities can be cultivated without the agency of the Lord, the result is often incomplete due to the modes of nature (guṇas). Tamas, rajas, and sattva are the three modes that shackle the conditioned self with an iron grip, preventing it from acting against its inherent nature shaped by past karmas. Some virtues may be embedded naturally due to the strides taken in past lives towards knowing the Self; others must be acquired. Yet, it is only through the grace of the Lord that such acquisition can be fully realised, allowing a devotee to become an instrument of the Lord by fully morphing in it.
But those who follow with faith, absorbed in Me,
honour this immortal wisdom as described above,
such devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.
—Bhagavad Gītā 12.20
Purity is The Vehicle for Devotion
Faith, duty, and righteousness (dharma) form the cornerstone of nididhyāsana. Such devotees honour this immortal wisdom by consistently aligning themselves with the performance of dharma on every occasion. Through the performance of dharma, a natural righteousness develops, and from it, purity emerges.
The purpose of life is to be pure, not rich, famous, or powerful. Purity is the force—the mirror of our immortal Self. In fact, it is the very purpose of living and creation. Nothing surpasses it. It is eternal and serves no lower end; its purpose is only itself, for it stands on its own support, reflecting existence while simultaneously supporting everything. Therefore, we can assert that purity forms the true foundation of nididhyāsana—the highest form of Bhakti yoga.
Om Tat Sat
Some immortal wisdom from my guru:
“Forget your house. Forget luxury. Forget money. Think only of the soul. Even the elephant has got a soul. Even the mosquito has got a soul. Yogīs know–God is everywhere.”
—Yogaviśārada Śrī BNS Iyengar
