Is it written anywhere in Gita to worship some God other than the Speaker of the knowledge of Gita?
Question: - In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, the Speaker of the knowledge of Gita has stated in Chapter 8 Verse 5 and 7 that a person, who even at the time of death, leaves his body while remembering me, comes to me. Therefore, Arjun! Remember me at all times; fight too. You will only attain me. Therefore, in Gita Chapter 18 Verse 62, he has stated that go in the refuge of that God. The speaker of the knowledge of Gita has indirectly said that remember me alone. You are telling another God. It is not reliable. Is it written anywhere else also in Gita to worship some God other than the Speaker of the knowledge of Gita?
Answer: - In Gita Chapter 7 Verse 29, the speaker of the knowledge of Gita has told that those worshippers who are striving to become free from jaraa (old age) and maran (death), they are familiar with the “Tat Brahm” (Tat Brahm = some other God).
Arjun has therefore asked in Gita Chapter 8 Verse 1 that who is “Tat Brahm”?
The Speaker of the knowledge of Gita has given the answer in Chapter 8 Verse 3 that He is “Param Akshar Brahm”.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 5 and 7, the speaker of the knowledge of Gita has asked to remember him. (The speaker of the knowledge of Gita has also mentioned about his birth and death in Gita Chapter 2 Verse 12, Gita Chapter 4 Verse 5 and Chapter 10 Verse 2. He has stated that one cannot achieve supreme peace by my worship; one will also have to fight. The speaker of the knowledge of Gita also says that birth and death will also continue forever.) Immediately in Gita Chapter 8 Verse 8, 9, and 10, in these three verses, the speaker of the knowledge of Gita has advised to worship “Param Akshar Brahm” who is separate to him, saying that – Oh Parth! Equipped with the practice of the bhakti of the Supreme God, without any faith is any other god or lord, a person who remembers the Supreme God with undeviated attention, (Parmm Divyam Purusham yaati) he goes to that Supreme Divine God, that is, Param Akshar Brahm only. (Gita Chapter 8 Verse 8.)
A worshipper who (does sumiran of) remembers Param Akshar Brahm who is immemorial, controller-of- all, subtler than the subtlest, nurturer-of- all, inconceivable, radiant like the sun, much beyond ignorance, pure, true happiness-giving Supreme God (Gita Chapter 8 Verse 9.)
That worshipper equipped with bhakti, even at the time of death, by the power of bhakti by properly fixing the life-breaths in the middle of the eyebrows, then while remembering mantra with a steadfast mind goes to that (Divya Param Purusham) Divine Supreme God, that is, Param Akshar Brahm (who is other than the speaker of Gita) only.
This evidence is also in this very Chapter 8 Verse 11 to 22 of Gita.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 11, it is stated that I will tell you that supreme state which the Tatvadarshi, that is, those who know the Vedas properly, call Immortal.
It is mentioned in Gita Chapter 8 Verse 12 that the way of worship to attain it is remembering the (naam) mantra with life-breaths.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 13, the speaker of the knowledge of Gita has stated that – there is only word “Om” for me, Brahm; it has to be remembered until death. One who does it attains the supreme state obtained by this mantra, that is, goes to Brahmlok.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 16, it is stated that those worshippers, who have gone to Brahmlok, also return to his world and are reborn and then die. This is not complete salvation.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 14, he has stated that he who worships me, for him I am easily attainable.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 15, the speaker of the knowledge of Gita has stated that after attaining me, there will always be rebirth, which is an abode of sorrow; it is a short-lived life. And those worshippers who worship the Param Akshar Brahm, they, attaining the supreme salvation, become immortal. They do not enter the cycle of birth and death again.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 16, the speaker of the knowledge of Gita has stated that all the Loks (worlds) upto Brahmlok are in recurrence, that is, the worshippers who have gone to the Loks (worlds) upto Brahmlok always remain in the cycle of birth-death. O Arjun! Those who do not know this, they even after attaining me, always remain in the cycle of birth-death, because the speaker of the knowledge of Gita has himself said in Gita Chapter 2 Verse 12, Chapter 4 Verse 5, Chapter 10 Verse 2 that O Arjun! You and I have had several births, and will keep having in future. You do not know; I know. Neither the gods know about my origin, nor the Maharishis (great sages) and nor the Siddhs. But Mahatmas, who by doing the worship of Param Akshar Brahm have attained supreme spiritual success, that is, supreme salvation, do not have rebirth.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 17, there is description of Akshar Purush’s (Par Brahm’s) day and night. It has mentioned that (BrahmnH) ParBrahm’s one day is of one thousand yugas, and similar is the duration of the night. There is mention of ParBrahm, that is, Akshar Purush in Gita Chapter 15 Verse 16. His mention is also in Gita Chapter 8 Verse 17, 18, 19.
Note: For more information, please read the information about Akshar Purush in Gita Chapter 8 Verse 17 to 19 in Question no. 9. He has also been called ‘Avyakt’ (unmanifested). After completion of his day, all the living beings that are in the 21 brahmands (universes) of Kshar Purush get destroyed. After completion of the night, the living beings are reborn in the world during the day.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 20, it is said that this Akshar Purush is also said to be “Avyakt” (unmanifested). But other than this Avyakt (unmanifested), the Extraordinary Eternal Unmanifested (Avyakt) Form is the Supreme Divine God (Param Divya Purush), that is, Param Akshar Brahm who does not get destroyed even after the destruction of all the living beings (Kshar Purush, Akshar Purush and all the living beings under them; all of these), that is, He is actually Immortal.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 21, it is said that - He who is called by this name Avyakt (Akshar) Immortal, the attainment of that Supreme God is called supreme salvation. After attaining that Eternal Avyakt (Unmanifested) Supreme God, one does not return in birth and death. That abode is greater than my abode. Earlier, I also used to live in it. Therefore, he has said that – ‘it is also my supreme abode’, because the giver of the knowledge of Gita has also been expelled from that supreme eternal abode, that is, Satyalok. (For its complete information, please read “Creation of Nature”.
In Gita Chapter 8 Verse 22, it is clear that the giver of the knowledge of Gita has stated that O Arjun! The God under whom are all the living beings (Kshar Purush and the living beings of his 21 brahmands, Akshar Purush and all the living beings under him, and all the living beings in the infinite brahmands of Param Akshar Purush, they all are under Param Akshar Brahm.), and the Param Akshar Purush from whom this whole universe is complete, that is, who has given rise to everyone; who has authority over everyone, that Eternal Avyakt (unmanifested) Supreme God is attainable by undivided devotion. The purport is that to attain Param Akshar Brahm (Supreme God), one should only worship Him. One should not have faith in any other gods. This is called undivided devotion, that is, worship.
To only worship Param Akshar Brahm is called undivided devotion. If we do the correct translation of Gita Chapter 8 Verse 22, then it is clear that: -
PurushH saH parH Paarth bhaktya labhyaH tu ananya |
Yasya antHsthaani bhootani yen sarvam idam tatam || (8/22)
Translation: - (SaH) that (parH) other (PurushH) God is attainable through undivided devotion; all the beings are under Him and He has given rise to the entire universe; He is the nurturer of all. Translation ends. (Gita Chapter 8 Verse 22) In its orginal text, that is, in Sanskrit, it is written that = SaH ParH PurushH = the meaning of “Par” in Gita Chapter 8 Verse 20 has been done as ‘beyond’, that is, ‘other’. Here (in Gita Chapter 8 Verse 22) also, if the meaning is taken as ‘other’, then it becomes clear that there is some other All-Capable God other than the Speaker of the knowledge of Gita. In whose refuge, the Speaker of the knowledge of Gita is advising to go in Gita Chapter 18 Verse 62.
It has been proved from the abovementioned description that the speaker of the knowledge of Gita has advised at various places in Shrimad Bhagvad Gita to worship some other God (Param Akshar Brahm). Complete salvation is possible only from Him. The cycle of birth-death ends forever.
Proof: - This evidence is also in Gita Chapter 7 Verse 19, 29, Gita Chapter 18 Verse 46, 61, 62, 66, Gita Chapter 3 Verse 9, Gita Chapter 8 Verse 3, 8, 9, 10, 20 to 22, Gita Chapter 4 Verse 31-32, Gita Chapter 15 Verse 1, 4, 17, Gita Chapter 2 Verse 17, 59, Gita Chapter 3 Verse 14, 15, 19 and Gita Chapter 5 Verse 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26.
