Bhagavad Gita 12 - Bhakti Yoga (Devotion)

1. Introduction and summary of Chapter 12- The Path of Devotion (Bhakti Yoga)
2. Chapter reading Chapter 12 - The Yoga of Devotion (Bhakti) (Gandhi's Gita, Sivananda):
3. Key topics of Bhakti Yoga:
   1. Verses 1-5: Superiority of Bhakti Yoga over other paths
   2. Verses 6-8: Goodness of Bhakti Yoga
   3. Verses 9-12: Bhakti Yoga and Dhyana, Karma and Jnana Yoga
   4. Verses 13-20: Profile of the Bhakta Yogi. Buddhi Yoga
   5. Para-Bhakti (by Swami Vivekananda)
4. Reading the versified adaptation of this chapter
5. In-depth analysis, verse a verse, the Bhakti Yoga (Gita Makaranadam by Swami Vidya Prakashananda)
6. Swami Vivekananda Readings related to Chapter 12- The Path of Devotion
7. Exercises of Chapter 12- Bhakti Yoga

Summary of the subject: Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita - Yoga of Devotion

In chapters 7 - 11 Sri Krishna enlightened Arjuna by explaining the characteristics, forms and manifestations of the Lord:

• 8- The Yoga of the Imperishable Parabrahman
• 9- The Yoga of Royal and Discriminatory Knowledge
• 10- The Yoga of Divine Manifestations
• 11- The Yoga of the Universal Form of the Lord

Now Arjuna was ready to receive from Sri Krishna one of the central teachings of the Bhagavad Gita: Bhakti Yoga, only through this constant devotion does man access the vision of God.

The Path of Devotion (“Bhakti”) is the one that most people follow. The Bhakta Yogi not only loves the Lord, but also all of His creation.

Arjuna asked whether Bhakti (“devotees who thus worship Thou”) is better than Jnani (“who worships the Imperishable Unmanifested”):

«Arjuna said: Among those who are firmly devoted to Thy personal form and those who worship the formless Brahman, whom do Thou consider the most perfect in Yoga?» Bhagavad Gita 12-1.

And Sri Krishna's response was clear, for the Lord the best yogi is the one who follows the path of Bhakti Yoga:

«The Lord said: Those who fix their minds on Me and always engage in My devotion with firm faith, I consider them to be the best yogis.» Bhagavad Gita 12-2.

The rest of this summary on the subject “Yoga of Devotion” is only available to students of the Gita Institute

For Gandhi:

«This twelfth chapter must be learned by memorizing it, even if all the other discourses have not been memorized. It is one of the shortest. The characteristics of a devotee should be carefully observed.» Gandhi.

For Swami Sivananda:

«On this path, the aspirant worships God in His Cosmic Form of the Supreme Personality. He develops a loving relationship with Him, worships Him, remembers Him and sings the glories of Him and His Name. Thus he effects union with the Lord and attains not only the formless aspect of him, but also the Lord as the manifested universe.» Swami Sivananda.

Sri Ramakrishna showed us that the Path of love (Bhakti Yoga) serves to reach the Lord:

Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna's chief disciple, asked him:

The Bhagavad Gita according to Swami Vivekananda

According to Swami Vivekananda, it is the Path of exclusive Devotion to the Lord, whoever seeks to unite with God through love or devotion, is a Bhakti Yogi.

«Bhakti Yoga, or worship or love, in one form or another is the easiest, most pleasant and natural form of man.. The object of Bhakti is God.» Swami Vivekananda.

Example: Chapter 12 verses 18-19 Bhakti Yoga (Swami Vidya Prakashananda)