12-1

अर्जुन उवाच -
एवम् सततयुक्ता ये भक्ताः त्वाम् पर्युपासते ।
ये चापि अक्षरम् अव्यक्तम् तेषाम् के योगवित्तमाः ॥ १ ॥

arjuna uvAca -
evam satatayuktA ye bhaktAH tvAm paryupAsate |
ye cApi akSaram avyaktam teSAm ke yogavittamAH || 1 ||

अर्जुन उवाच [arjuna uvAca] Arjuna said- एवम् [evam] In this way, ये [ye] those who are भक्ताः [bhaktAH] devoted to You पर्युपासते त्वाम् [paryupAsate tvAm] worship You well. च अपि [ca api] On the other hand, there are also people ये अक्षरम् [ye akSaram] who focus on the indestructible, which we know as our Self, अव्यक्तम् [avyaktam] which is not perceptible to our sense organs. तेषाम् के [teSAm ke] Who among them योगवित्तमाः [yogavittamAH] is closer to realizing their goal?

How do we realize our goal? By being devoted to it, or by knowing everything about it?

At the end of the previous chapter, in 11-55 , the Lord said: ‘The person who dedicates all his actions to Me shall achieve Me’.

In this chapter, Arjuna begins by responding to the Lord-

Your devotees consider their ultimate goal to be You, in the manner You described- with all Your powers, with vast, unbroken amounts of limitless qualities like beauty, equanimity, all-knowing and always having Your intent fulfilled. These devotees worship You completely.

On the other hand, there are people who dedicate their effort towards the realization of the indestructible, which is evident as the Self inside each of us, which is otherwise imperceptible to our eyes and other sense organs.

Who is closer to realizing their goal: your devotees, or those who pursue the realization of the Self? Who will realize their goal sooner? In this Shloka, Arjuna uses the word योगवित्तम [yogavittama] to ask about the speed at which the goal is realized.

This is answered further in this chapter ( 12-7 ) - ‘I’ll be there without delay for those who have placed themselves in Me’