विवेचन सारांश

The Forms of Worship- Nirguna and Saguna

The 12th Chapter of the Bhagavadgītā is about the Yoga of Devotion, and describes that HE can be attained by anyone who offers true devotion to HIM irrespective of the fact that it is through manifested or un-manifested worship.

The Vivechan began with the ceremonial prayer and lamp lighting ceremony.

We all are very fortunate to be on the path of reading and understanding the Gita. It is with the Divine's blessings that we are on this path for the Supreme HIMSELF has said in the 18th Chapter 68 and 69 Shloka:

य इदं परमं गुह्यं मद्भक्तेष्वभिधास्यति |
भक्तिं मयि परां कृत्वा मामेवैष्यत्यसंशय:
न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्चिन्मे प्रियकृत्तम: |
भविता न च मे तस्मादन्य: प्रियतरो भुवि

HE says that the one who reads the Gita, teaches Gita and practices it in one's life is most dear to HIM. HE has used the superlative degree to intensify the importance of reading the Gita. People  wonder as to why the 12th Chapter has been introduced as the first lesson when one starts learning Gita in this course. The 12th and the 15th Chapter are the shortest lessons with just 20 shlokas in each lesson. It helps the sadhak to gain confidence and move ahead on his path to know the Gita. 

Our dharma shastras (scriptures) mention a nyay (law/rule) that ghatita buddhim (that what I understand) ghatika jnyanum karanum which means; if one wants to understand a concept one needs to understand every component of it . 

Suppose one says 'A Table is round' then one needs to know the word 'table' and 'round' and the connection why the word 'is' being used. Similarly in the 12th chapter there are three components that one needs to understand. The Gita is the conversation between Arjuna and The Supreme. 

The three components Arjuna, Gita and The Divine need to be understood. All of us might be thinking that Arjuna is a person who is young and depressed, one who has lost all hopes and is in distress. On the contrary Arjuna was 84 years old when the Kurukshetra war was fought and he was a man who was always righteous, who never got defeated  and could also please Shiv ji in 'Mallyudh'. Arjuna was a person who did not loose hope even when the Pandavas had to spend 13 years in exile and he had to spend 10 more years in exile as he refused to get lured by Urvashi's beauty and as result he accepted her curse to live as Brihannala. 

Arjuna wanted to obtain the divine weapons to perform his tapasya (Voluntary acceptance of austerity for the purpose of detaching oneself from the sense objects), mastery over sleep was important, he achieved this goal by performing tapasya on a branch of a tree near a river. He was such a determined person that he was referred as Gudakesh one who won over his sleep. Arjuna practiced sitting on the branch of tree which was near a river to gain control over his sleep because every time he fell asleep he fell in the river and after doing it for six months he succeeded. Such was the magnanimity of his character that he was the person who  could visit Shareer swarg i.e. being able to visit Swarg Lok with his Physical Body. This was extremely difficult, one can find an example of the king Trishanku who even after getting the blessings from Rishi Vishwamitra, was still kicked off from the Swarg Lok by Indra thus being stuck between the 3 worlds thereby getting himself his name of Trishanku. Arjuna was courageous, a strategic planner and was always righteous. 

In-spite of all these qualities Arjuna in the 1st Chapter in verse 28 and 29 tells HIM

सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति 

वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते 

गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चै व परिदह्यते |
न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मन: |
निमित्तानि च पश्यामि विपरीतानि केशव |
न च श्रेयोऽनुपश्यामि हत्वा स्वजनमाहवे

The Gita which is the second component is the conversation between Arjuna and The Divine. The Gita is actually a part of Mahābhārata and is placed in a lesson named 'Bhishma Parv' . It is Ved Vyas ji who wrote this Gita for us to read

ॐ पार्थाय प्रतिबोधितां भगवता नारायणेन स्वयं व्यासेन ग्रथितां पुराणमुनिना मध्ये महाभारतम् ।

अद्वैतामृतवर्षिणीं भगवतीम्- अष्टादशाध्यायिनीम् अम्ब त्वामनुसन्दधामि भगवद्- गीते भवद्वेषिणीम्

This Gita has been imparted to Arjuna (Parth) by Narayna i.e. The Divine and it is the only place where one directly gets to hear the Voice of The Supreme HIMSELF. The Gita was actually meant for the common man to read but Arjuna was the 'Nimit' the chosen one through whom The Supreme wanted all of us to read and learn lessons. Also people wonder as to why did HE choose Arjuna to be instrumental for this Gita. 

Adi Shankracharya has said: 
The one who has Divine qualities, only that person can spread knowledge, and the person who does not have such qualities will not be able to do so, hence Arjuna was the chosen one. In the 16th Chapter 

दैवी सम्पद्विमोक्षाय निबन्धायासुरी मता |
मा शुच: सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातोऽसि पाण्डव 

The Divine HIMSELF has said that Arjuna possess all the Divine qualities and hence he is the chosen one.

The Gita is a gist of all the upanishads. All great personalities like Gandhji, Lokmanya Tilak, Vivekanand all found the answers for their questions about life in this manual of life. It is the only document which has 1800 authentic commentaries. 
The third component is Krishnaji. In Chapter 1 Verse 21 

सेनयोरुभयोर्मध्ये रथं स्थापय मेऽच्युत || 21||
यावदेतान्निरीक्षेऽहं योद्धुकामानवस्थितान् |
कैर्मया सह योद्धव्यमस्मिन् रणसमुद्यमे