Gita 9.11
अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम् |
परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम् || 11||
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣhīṁ tanum āśhritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśhvaram
"This verse explains the concept of God as both personal and formless, using the term 'mūḍha' (dim-witted) to categorize those who deny the possibility of God's personal form." It argues that those who claim God can only exist as an abstract formless entity undermine God's omnipotence; if God can create the diverse forms and phenomena of the universe, He should also possess the ability to manifest a personal form.
"This verse explains the concept of God as both personal and formless,
This verse emphasizes that God must embody both personal and formless aspects to be considered perfect and complete. It references various Vedic scriptures to reinforce this notion, highlighting the divine nature of God in human-like forms (e.g., as a cowherd boy) and emphasizing the divine nature of these forms—free from the defects of material existence, described as sat-chit-ānand (eternal, full of knowledge, and composed of divine bliss).
apaśhyaṁ gopāṁ anipadyamānamā
(Ṛig Veda 1.22.164 sūkta 31)
“I had the vision of God as a boy who is never annihilated, and who appeared in a family of cowherds.”
dwibhūjaṁ mauna mudrāḍhyaṁ vana mālinamīśhwaram
(Gopāl Tāpani Upaniṣhad 1.13)
“The Lord, wearing a garland of forest flowers, plays His flute, enchantingly forming the mauna mudrā with His hands.”
gūḍhaṁ paraṁ brahma manuṣhya-liṅgam
(Bhagavatam 7.15.75)
“The deepest knowledge is that God accepts a human-like form.”
yatrāvatīrṇo bhagavān paramātmā narākṛitiḥ
(Bhagavatam 9.23.20)
“At that time, the Supreme Lord, who possesses all opulence, descended in a human-like form.”
īśhwaraḥ paramaḥ kṛiṣhṇaḥ sachchidānanda vigrahaḥ
anādirādir govindaḥ sarvakāraṇa kāraṇam
(Brahma Samhitā 5.1)
In this verse, Brahma prays to Shree Krishna, “I worship Lord Krishna whose form is eternal, all-knowing, and blissful. He is without beginning and end, and is the cause of all causes.”
It affirms that God's descension into the world occurs through His divine power (Yogmaya), which demonstrates that while God is imperishable and beyond birth, He manifests in human form for the benefit of souls.
The discussion acknowledges the spiritual limitation of human souls, who may have witnessed God in His divine form but failed to recognize Him because they were viewing Him with material perceptions. It elaborates on how individuals perceive God's divinity differently based on their spiritual development—those in sattva guṇa may recognize Krishna's special qualities without considering Him divine, whereas those in rajo guṇa and tamo guṇa form more trivial or negative views of Him.
Ultimately, only realized saints, who have attained divine vision through God's grace, can fully recognize Krishna's divinity.
This verse concludes with Shree Krishna stating that many materially conditioned souls do not understand Him when He incarnates on Earth, highlighting the disparity in perception based on individual spiritual awareness.
Gita 9.12
मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतस: |
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिता: || 12||
moghāśhā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vichetasaḥ
rākṣhasīm āsurīṁ chaiva prakṛitiṁ mohinīṁ śhritāḥ
Many people have different beliefs about God, especially in relation to Shree Krishna. Some argue that God cannot appear in a personal form and think Krishna was just an advanced yogi. Others believe that he is a lesser form of God because of his connection to the material world. There are even those who see Krishna as a frivolous character who spent time with the cowherd girls.
According to this verse these views are incorrect and that those who hold them are misled by material energy. It suggests that Shree Krishna considers these people to have a negative, or demoniac, nature. Since they don't respect the personal form of God, they struggle with true devotion (bhakti) toward Him. Furthermore, since connecting with the formless aspect of God is very difficult, they fail to find a path to true happiness and well-being. Ultimately, they are caught up in the fleeting pleasures of the material world, making their hopes for lasting fulfilment pointless.
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Bhagavad Gita [English]- 11.1.2025
