The 'big picture' of the Gita - more than just text

When a pupil is instructed by a teacher, the pupil learns from all his senses. Hence importance is attached not only to the words used by the teacher, but also to any visual aids, illustrations, body language, tone of voice, musical intonation, emotions etc. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna instructs Arjuna on the path of Karma Yoga to help him perform his duty and attain the highest human goal while doing so. The gita is not a telephonic conversation or a mere internet chat where only the text is sufficient to convey a message. It is the 'Song of God' delivered and performed by God himself to his devotee to help the devotee realize perfect devotion to the Lord. In the Gita, the message of Bhakti is not just a verbal message but one that is felt and realized by Arjuna in the presence of the Lord himself conveying the message of devotion to the Lord in his spectacular divine form. Hence the words alone do not give the full picture of devotion to the Lord.

The message of Bhakti in the Gita has to be realized as Arjuna did, in the presence of Krishna. Furthermore, Krishna gives divine vision to Arjuna and Arjuna perceives Krishna in all his divine splendour in subsequent chapters related to the divine forms of the Lord. Hence the words in these chapters cannot be grasped truly without the divine vision that Arjuna experienced, or the divine love experienced by the lord's relatives, friends and disciples in their personal interactions with him. The path of Bhakti which was taught by Krishna to Arjuna was ideal for the situation because:

1) Arjuna was already close to Krishna who knew him as a relative, a close friend and a guide and trusted Krishna completely.
2) Arjuna's personality was suited to devotion because he was emotional and highly devoted to people who were close to him and whom he trusted such as his brothers, his cousin Krishna, his grandsire Bhishma and his guru Drona.
3) There was very little time to resort to other methods such as meditation and contemplation because Arjuna was in the midst of a battlefield where his role was crucial.
4) Krishna bestowed divine vision on Arjuna which enabled him to not just perceive an abstract infinite being, but a supreme all attractive and all powerful personality with infinite attributes, but yet beyond all attributes.

Thus, the words spoken by Krishna were substantiated by Arjuna's vision as the words were being uttered in real time. It is human nature to learn by experience and based on what you see and not based on what you hear or what you read, hence a mere reading of these verses or a hearing from a 'guru' without a glimpse of the divine will not result in the realization of bhakti the way it worked for Arjuna in the physical presence of the Lord. During the war, Arjuna was constantly aware of the presence of the lord as his charioteer and guide. However this path of Bhakti taught by Krishna to Arjuna is the least ideal path for those who have not had a glimpse of Krishna even in his human form, let alone in his divine form in all his splendour. This Bhakti cannot be realized by humans who are not bestowed with divine vision or those who have not heard the divine flute playing or the melodious voice of the all attractive lord. Hence the only paths that suitable for the world of today in absence of contact with the avatar or human form of the lord are those of Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga, which are taught by the lord himself.

Chanting the names of the lord and visualizing the forms of the lord and his pastimes, and worshiping idols helps to control the mind, however taming the mind alone does not lead to self-realization. Only the performance of action as Karma Yoga with balance and equanimity even in turbulent situations can lead to self-realization as it did for King Janaka and others. Even chanting the name of the lord or singing bhajans with a motive to praise him and reach him in his divine abode is not Karma Yoga, due to the underlying motive.

Those who refrain from performing their worldly duties towards themselves, their families, their countries, and the world at large and those who live vicariously in their thoughts under the guise of 'Bhaktas' are nothing but hypocrites. Idol worship or chanting names is mere attachment to a limited form such as a word or an 'idol' and not devotion to the infinite and all-encompassing lord who cannot be understood or realized through a limited idol or name. The lord is present in all living beings and the entire universe is present in the lord. This cannot be realized through a name, song, image or idol.