Gita Chapter 12

Shlokas 3 and 4

Let us reflect upon what Shri Krishna says about the devotees who worship the Infinite, Formless God.

3 -4 “However, those who worship the Imperishable, the Indefinable, the Unmanifested, the Omnipresent, the Incomprehensible, the Unchangeable, the Immovable, and the Eternal, having controlled their senses, being even-minded everywhere, engaged in unselfish service to all, definitely reach Me only.”

In the first shloka of this chapter, Arjuna mentioned only two epithets of the Formless God (Brahman), namely, the Imperishable and the Unmanifested. In the third shloka, Shri Krishna mentioned eight epithets of Brahman, namely (1) the Imperishable, (2) the Indefinable, (3) the Unmanifested, (4) the Omnipresent, (5) the Incomprehensible, (6) the Unchangeable, (7) the Immovable, and (8) the Eternal. These epithets have been mentioned in the Upanishads.  

Shri Krishna says that those who worship the Formless God (Brahman) with these epithets and who are endowed with the three characteristics, namely, (1) having total control over the senses, (2) being even-minded everywhere in all circumstances, and (3) constantly engaged in unselfish service to all, also reach the same highest state as the worshippers of God with form do.

Shri Krishna is a great teacher. He describes various aspects of Infinite Formless God clearly and states all the characteristics needed to attain It. Let us reflect upon the eight epithets and the three characteristics.

The eight epithets are interconnected. If we accept one, we have to accept all. They give us an idea of Brahman, the Formless God, from various points of view. Words cannot describe Brahman, but through words, we try to get an idea of Brahman. Keeping this limitation in mind, let us try to understand these epithets.

(1)  The Imperishable (Aksharam):  Rishis, the Knowers of Brahman, realized that whatever has a name, a form, and characteristics or qualities is made of five elements, namely, Space, Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth. Whatever has been composed of elements will decompose in time and will perish. Even the five elements came from Brahman or Pure Consciousness, and one day, they will merge into It. Thus, whatever has names, forms, and qualities are perishable.

We have to understand what perishable means. Perishable means going back to its origin, its Ultimate Reality. Swami Vivekananda said in his paper on Hinduism, “…chemistry could not progress further when it would discover one element out of which all others could be made. Physics would stop when it is able to fulfill its services in discovering one energy of which all the others are but manifestations, and the science of religion becomes perfect when it discovers Him (Brahman), who is the one life in a universe of death, Him, who is the constant basis of an ever-changing world, One who is the only Soul of which all souls are but delusive manifestations.”

Thus, the Rishis realized that there is only One Ultimate Reality called Brahman, which is the cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe. They realized further that Brahman alone appears as the universe. Out of ignorance, a human being sees Brahman as entities confined to names, forms, and qualities, including oneself.

The title of the eighth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is ‘Akshara Brahma Yoga,’ ‘The Path to the Imperishable Brahman.’ At the beginning of the chapter, Arjuna asks, “What is Brahman?” Shri Krishna replies, “Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme.’ Thus, the Vedanta scriptures declare that Brahman is Imperishable, the Ultimate Realiity.

Brahman is Imperishable because It is devoid of names, forms, and qualities. Since It is the Ultimate Reality, It does not decompose any further. Examples have been given to understand the relationship between Brahman and the universe. (1) Golden ornaments like rings, necklaces, and earrings have names, forms, and qualities, and they look different from each other, but in reality, they are nothing but gold. When the ornaments are melted in the fire, what remains is nothing but gold. Here, the gold is the Ultimate Reality for the ornaments. (2) A kid makes objects and people from the moisturized sand on the ocean bank. After some time, he/she destroys all the forms, and what remains is the sand. Here, the sand is the Ultimate Reality for all the sand objects. (3) A movie is projected on a screen. Various characters and situations appear on the screen. People are born, they live, and they die. But, all the time, the screen remains the same. It was the screen that appeared as characters and situations, but all the time, the screen was without names, forms, and qualities that we saw in the movie. The screen was the substratum. Similarly, due to ignorance of the Ultimate Reality, we see the universe in Brahman with all the objects and beings. The universe is created, sustained, and dissolved in Brahman. (4) Consider the Brahman or Pure Consciousness to be an ocean. In the ocean, various waves appear, remain there, and then dissolve into the ocean. The waves have names, forms, and qualities, and they look different than the ocean. But in reality, all the waves are nothing but the ocean water. Similarly, Pure Consciousness appears as objects and people, but ultimately, they are not different from Pure Consciousness. Also, Pure Consciousness or Brahman is always there. It is Imperishable.

(2) The Indefinable (Anirdeshyam):  The meaning of Anirdeshyam is also something we cannot point out. If we point out a thing means, we can define it. We can define a thing with a name, form, and qualities. Since Brahman is devoid of name, form, and qualities, It is indefinable.

Sri Ramakrishna said that Brahman has not become ‘Jhutha.’ If we touch food with our mouth, then it is considered as ‘Jhutha’ or polluted. He said that Brahman cannot be described by our mouth, so It is never polluted or limited. Whatever we describe becomes limited by those words. Brahman is beyond all our descriptions. Brahman manifests as the whole universe and is beyond. Brahman is Unmanifested. Therefore, It cannot be defined.

Sri Ramakrishna quoted one incident from the scriptures. A father sent his two sons to Ashrama to learn Vedanta. After learning for some time, they came home. Father asked the older son, ‘What is Braman?’ The son started describing Brahman with various epithets. The father didn’t say anything. He then turned to the younger son and asked the same question. The younger son kept his head down and didn’t say anything. From his gestures, it was clear that he could not describe Brahman. The father said, “Well, you have understood somewhat what Brahman is.”

(3) The Unmanifested (Avyaktam):  Whatever is manifested has a name, form, and quality. Whatever has a name, form, and quality will perish. Brahman is Imperishable. Hence, it is not manifested.

A question comes. What is the purpose of talking about something that is not manifested? For pure Advaitist, this universe is a dream and has no real existence. Everything is Brahman, but by ignorance or delusion created by Maya, the power of Brahman, we see the universe. In the dream, there is nothing there, but we create a huge baseball field, thousands of people, and a game or various situations of joys and sorrows. When we wake up, we find nothing else but ourselves. Knowledgeable people say that, in reality, there is only Brahman, but because of our desires, ignorance, or delusion, we see a variety of things with names, forms, and qualities. Knowledgeable people say that when we get rid of our ignorance or delusion, then, just like the dream world, this world also disappears, and we see only one Reality, Brahman. Then, we understand that whatever is manifested is perishable, and Brahman is not manifested.  

Shri Shankaracharya gives examples to illustrate how, due to delusion, we see things differently. He said that there is a rope lying on the floor, but in the semi-darkness, we see it as a snake and get scared. When we bring light, then we see the reality. Another example is a mirage. On a hot summer day, we see water on the ground. But, if we go closer, we find no water at all.  Thus, through ignorance or delusion, we see names, forms, and qualities, but the ultimate reality is Brahman or Pure Consciousness. Thus, manifest is the universe, and Brahman remains unmanifested.

There are saints and sages like Sri Ramakrishna who say that the universe is not a dream. Sri Ramakrishna said that he accepts everything, Brahman, Its Power Shaki (or Maya), Ishwara (the creator, preserver, and dissolver), Universe, and Jiva (individuals), as true. As long as we have body consciousness, we are aware of Shakti, Ishwara, Universe, and Jiva. Only in the state of Samadhi does the universe not exist when an individual completely merges with Brahman and has no separate existence. He said that if we accept that only Brahman exists and nothing else, the total weight is not counted. Sri Ramakrishna gave an example. Bel fruit has an outer skin, an inner fruit substance that people eat, and its seed. If people say that when we buy the bel fruits, the seller must weigh only the eatable inner substance, then the seller would not agree. The seller will say that the bell fruit consists of all three things, and he/she must weigh the complete bel fruit. Thus, Brahman is the manifested universe and the Unmanifested.

What we see in the universe is the tip of an iceberg.  The manifested universe is just a fraction of what is un-manifested.  How many kinds of human beings, animals, insects, fish, plants, and stars have been born, are being born, and will be born in the future?  If the Un-manifested Brahman is finite in nature, it creates only a finite number of varieties.  Time is infinite, and in this time, infinitely many varieties of species have been born in the past, being born in the present, and will be born in the future.  Even though this manifested universe looks infinite, Brahman is all of this and beyond.  Ishopanishad says Brahman is infinite, and this universe is infinite.  Infinite (universe) came from the infinite (Brahman) and infinite remains.’ From this point of view, a part of Brahman is manifested and most of it is unmanifested.     

(4) The Omnipresent (Sarvatragama):  Brahman is all-pervading. If Brahman is not somewhere, it has a limit and a shape. Whatever has a shape perishes. Therefore, Brahman is everywhere. Ishopanishad says that everything in the universe is covered by the Lord (Brahman).

It is hard for people to think that God is in both the harmless and the harmful plants, and animals, and in good and bad people. Initially, we try to see God in good plants, animals, and people. Later, when we advance in the spiritual path, we understand God is also in the bad people. Bad people cover God with their bad acts. When the cover of bad thoughts, speech, and actions is removed, God shines through them. Harmful plants and animals also have their purpose in the universe, many of which we may not understand.

(5) The Incomprehensible (Achintyam): Socrates has taught us that the sign of knowledge or wisdom is to know the fact, ‘how little we know.’  This is the reason why wise people are humble.  They are aware that the finite human mind cannot know the infinite.  After all these years of human research, how little we know!  A research paper solves one problem and raises several new problems.  Think of a circle. Think that inside the circle is all the knowledge that human beings have collected so far, and outside the circle is the world of the unknown.  As the circle of knowledge gets bigger, its circumference, which is touching the world of the unknown, also gets bigger.  As our knowledge of the world increases, so does our awareness of our ignorance. 

Let us look at the sky.  Where is its end?  With a powerful telescope, we see galaxies, planets, and stars being created and destroyed trillions of light-years afar.  We talk about events that took place several light-years ago, and these are only finitely many events!  We go to aquariums and are amazed by the varieties of species, all different in shapes and colors.  These are just a few species we have gathered during our finite time.  Similarly, in any field, starting from our body and mind to the galaxies, we find that there is an infinite amount of information lying there.  Sri Ramakrishna said that a one-gallon container cannot hold ten gallons of milk.  Our finite mind cannot comprehend the infinite.  Also, we can comprehend things that have names and forms. Such things we can grasp through our senses.  Brahman is beyond names and forms.  It is a support of all names and forms.  Thus, Brahman is Incomprehensible.  But, our finite minds can feel the infinite or develop an intuition about the infinite.  Spiritual practices are to develop that feel of the infinite and mold our lives based on that experience.  Great teachers of humanity have felt that infinite.                                      

Sri Ramakrishna expresses this idea effectively. He said, “Men often think they have understood Brahman fully.  Once, an ant went to a hill of sugar.  One grain filled its stomach.  Taking another grain in its mouth, it started homeward.  On its way, it thought, ‘Next time, I shall carry home the whole hill.’  That is the way shallow minds think.  They do not know that Brahman is beyond one’s words and thoughts.  However great a man may be, how much can he know of Brahman?  Sukadeva and sages like him may have been big ants, but even they could carry, at the most, eight or ten grains of sugar!…. Once, a salt doll went to measure the depth of the ocean.  It wanted to tell others how deep the water was.  But this it could never do, for no sooner had it got into the water than it melted.  Now, who was there to speak about the depth?”  Anything that we perceive through our senses is finite, and thus, it cannot perceive or describe the infinite.   

(6) The Unchangeable (Kutastham):  The Sanskrit word “Kuta” has many meanings. In this reference, it means ‘unchangeable.’ Some people use the English word ‘immutable’ to translate it.  The known analogy for this word is an anvil. An anvil is a heavy steel or iron block with a flat top, concave sides, and typically a pointed end on which metal can be hammered and shaped. A blacksmith makes various kinds of iron tools or objects by hammering the iron pieces on an anvil. At the end of the day, after all the tools or objects of various shapes are made, the anvil remains unchanged. That is why Brahman has been referred to as ‘Kutastha.’ Brahman is the substratum on which we see various objects with different names, forms, and qualities.

We can also consider ‘Kutastha’ as a television screen. So many people, objects, and situations of various kinds appear on the television screen, but the screen remains unchanged. Similarly, Brahman, due to Its power Maya, appears as various people, objects, and situations with names, forms, and qualities, but It remains unchanged.  

Change needs a duality: one that is changing and another that is observing. These two could be the same person looking objectively at oneself as a separate being. Also, change happens in time. A baby is born, and after a few months or years, the baby looks different. People who see this change remember when the baby was born and how it looked. Compared to that moment, now, after a few months or years, people see the change. Babies cannot see the change in themselves unless they look at their old photos and compare them with their present look in a mirror. Thus, to perceive a change, one needs awareness, which is there all the time and is not changing. We perceive changes in the backdrop of Atman or Brahman, an eternal and unchanging awareness, which we call a witness consciousness. If Brahman or Awareness keeps changing, we cannot perceive a change. Time, space, and qualities are projected on Brahman. The reality is that Brahman is beyond time, space, and qualities. The Awareness due to the presence of Brahman and an illusory ego that limits itself to a body-mind frame sees all the changes.

(7) The Immovable (Achalam):  Brahman is immovable.  To move a thing, one needs room to move.  Since Brahman is Omnipresent, there is no room for Brahman to move.  Also, things move in space and time.  Brahman is the support of time and space and is beyond both.  Thus, It is immovable.                                                      

(8) The Eternal (Dhruvam):  Brahman is Imperishable. Therefore, It is eternal.  Brahman is like a pole star. All directions are meaningful because the pole star remains at the same place. Brahman is the cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe, so it has to be eternal. All the epithets of Brahman are interconnected. If we accept one, we have to accept all.

Notes:  Swami Ramsukhdasji says in “Srimad Bhagavadgita – Sadhaka-Sanjivani” that negative epithets of Brahman, like Imperishable, Indefinable, Unmanifested, Incomprehensible, Immovable, are negative adjectives of Brahman. They show that Braman is different from the universe. On the other hand, the positive epithets, such as omnipresent, eternal, blissful, truth, and consciousness, show Brahman’s independent existence.

Swami Ramsukhdasji also points out that in the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna describes the epithets of Atman, which are the same as the epithets of Brahman. For example, in Bhagavad Gita Chapter Two, shlokas 24 and 25 say, along with other things, the Self (Atman) is Eternal, All-Pervading, Unchanging, Immovable, Unmanifest, and Incomprehensible. This shows that Atman and Brahman are the same.                                                                                                                 

Three Characteristics: Shri Krishna described three characteristics needed to realize God, especially the Formless God. They are also needed to realize God with form. These characteristics are the signs of the realized people and also the practices of the seekers of a formless God. Let us reflect on these characteristics so that we can practice and develop them in our lives.

(i)  Total Control of senses:  One sign of a person with God-realization is having total control of one’s senses and mind. For a spiritual seeker, trying to get total control of one’s senses and mind is absolutely necessary.  Kathopanishad (2.1.1) says, “The Lord has destroyed the senses by making them extrovert.  Therefore, people see outside of themselves and do not see their Self inside.  A rare individual with discrimination, desiring immortality, turns one’s eyes inside, and he/she realizes the Atman within.”  Most people think that all the joy of life is in the objects of the world.  They feel that their desires will be satisfied by worldly objects, and this satisfaction will ultimately make them very happy and help them attain contentment. That is why people run around the world to acquire worldly objects to be happy. As a person’s brain develops and acquires more experiences of the world, one finds that this joy is not in worldly objects. This joy is projected from our mind in the object.  When situations change, and with it, mental outlook changes, the same object that was giving joy can give intense pain.

Mature people realize that worldly desires cannot be completely fulfilled. Knowledgeable people say that when we add ghee to a plank of burning wood, then it increases the fire. Pouring more ghee does not put off the fire. Similarly, the more we try to fulfill worldly desires, the cravings to fulfill them become more intense. For example, lust and greed are never satisfied. When we try to fulfill them, initially, we feel some joy, but then, as the cravings become more intense, we forget the joy and feel intense pain for not being able to satisfy them. Also, the efforts to satisfy worldly desires make us slaves of worldly objects. Wise people say, ‘It is good to drink tea, but tea should not drink us.’ We are happy when we live like a master and not like a slave.

A spiritual seeker should have total control of the senses and the mind to realize God. If we do not have control of our senses and minds, how can we focus them on God? Swami Ramsukhdasji says that those who like to realize the Formless God need absolute control of the senses and the mind. Devotees who worship God with form can focus their senses and minds on the form of God, but the worshippers of formless God initially have nothing to focus on.

The senses will be controlled if we control our worldly desires.  Sri Ramakrishna expresses the need to control our desires very effectively.  He says, “In our part of the country, I have seen peasants bringing water into their paddy fields.  The fields have low ridges on all sides to prevent the water from leaking out, but these are made of mud and often have holes here and there.  The peasants work themselves to death to bring the water, which, however, leaks out through the holes.  Desires are the holes.  You practice japa and austerities, no doubt, but they all leak out through the holes of your desires.  If there are no desires, the mind naturally looks up toward God.”  We pray and meditate on the Atman or Self within and make some spiritual progress.  But, if our daily activities are not integrated with the goal of Self-realization, our spiritual progress gets nullified, and we go nowhere. 

Senses are very powerful and very difficult to get under control.  What to do?  Kathopanishad (1.3.3 & 4) says, “Know the Atman (Self) as the master of the chariot, the body as the chariot, the intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins.  The people with discrimination call the senses as the horses, the objects of the senses as the roads, and the Self associated with body, mind, and senses as the enjoyer of the ride.”  A person whose senses are not under control will have a rough ride in life, and the one whose senses are under control will have a smooth ride.  We also learn from these mantras that we have to control our senses by our minds, control our minds by intellect, and control our intellect by our Self or Soul.  Initially, we do not have any experience of our Self.  Hence, we have to develop our intellect through the study of scriptures and holy company – a company of teachers who have realized the Atman or are committed to realizing It through sincere spiritual practices.  We have to reflect upon the teachings of scriptures and develop Viveka, a sense of discrimination that tells us clearly which thoughts and activities will take us towards the Atman and which will take us away from It.  With this intellect, we can control our minds, and we can control our senses by our minds.  With the sense of discrimination, we make proper choices that help us realize the Atman and avoid things that diverge us from this realization.  If we realize that our house is on fire, then we simply run away from the house to save ourselves.  In this case, our intellect and mind are convinced that fire will kill us.  Similarly, in the spiritual path, once we develop a sense of discrimination and convince the mind about what is favorable and what is not favorable, then through the mind and intellect, we can control our senses.   

Which practices help us to control our senses?  In the book “Raja Yoga,” Swami Vivekananda states that the Raja Yoga is divided into eight steps.  The first step is “Yama,” which consists of non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, and non-receiving of gifts.  The second step is “Niyama,” which consists of cleanliness, contentment, austerity, the study of scriptures, and self-surrender to God.  These two steps build the foundation for the eight steps to realize Atman.  The practice of these two steps brings control to our minds and senses.  As we make progress in getting control over our minds and senses, we become fit to focus our minds on the Atman.

Practical Hints:

(a)  To control lust, greed, jealousy, anger, or hatred is more difficult.  For beginners, it is advised to start with making a daily schedule for spiritual practices, like prayer, japa, meditation, and reading inspiring books. Then, people have to be diligent to maintain this regular schedule. Minds will bring all kinds of excuses to break the schedule, but they should try their best to keep the schedule. This way, people get some control over their minds. Then, it is advised to keep weekly, monthly, and yearly spiritual schedules for special spiritual practices, holy company, and unselfish service.

When we start getting control over our minds, then we can work on removing the weaknesses of the mind and strengthening the positive sides of our minds.

(b) To control our minds, we have to know our minds. Start observing our minds and know their strengths and weaknesses. We get some control over our minds by just knowing our weaknesses. Then we have to work on them cleverly. The difficult part is that we have to control our minds by our minds. Keeping a diary to observe the mind is also helpful. Sincere prayers and an intense desire to control the mind and the senses are most helpful. 

(ii) Even-minded in all situations:  Suppose a person controls one’s senses and mind.  Does this necessarily mean that one is progressing towards one’s Atman?  It may not be the case.  Many people with worldly goals have control over themselves.  That is why Shri Krishna gave three characteristics together.  All three characteristics are very important to realize one’s Self or Atman.  When one realizes one’s Atman, then one finds that the same Atman resides in all beings and that the Atman does not depend on gender, age, color, creed, religion, or any external differences.  Thus, a spiritual seeker of Jnana Yoga, the path of knowledge, realizes Oneness. 

The more one advances towards one’s Atman, the more one identifies oneself with others.  The pain and pleasures of others become his/her pain and pleasures.  Also, this Oneness is not limited to one’s relatives or friends, but it envelops all beings.  There is a story that a thief entered a holy man’s hut and stole a couple of pots.  The holy man woke up.  The thief started running.  The holy man saw that the thief was running away with his pots, but he also realized that the thief did not have warm clothes to protect himself in the cold winter.  The holy man ran after the thief with a blanket, shouting, ‘Hey fellow! Please stop and take this blanket. You need it badly!’  Such unselfish love is possible only when one realizes Oneness with all beings.  Even when a child makes a mistake, the child’s welfare becomes more important for the mother than the punishment for the mistake.  A person who has realized Atman will feel that all beings are not different from him/herself.

In the Bhagavad Gita (5.18), Shri Krishna says, “Knowledgeable people see the same Atman in all – whether it be a Brahmin endowed with learning and humility, or a cow, or an elephant, or a dog, or an outcaste.”  Of course, dealings with wise people and cows will be different, but a person who has realized the Formless God sees the same Atman in all beings.

Another aspect of being even-minded everywhere is achieving a state of calmness in all circumstances, like pain or pleasure, success or failure, honor or insults, and others. This is achieved when one remains absorbed in Atman under all circumstances, is devoid of all worldly desires, has no expectations from the world, and is ever satisfied being one with Atman.

Practical Hints:  First, we try to see and experience the Atman within us through meditation. As we experience the Atman within, we can see Atman in others.

The universe and life constantly bring us opposite situations, like joys and sorrows, successes and failures, honors and insults, etc. Through spiritual practices, we can develop a mind that balances our reactions to these situations and remains calm.

The reactions of the mind are just thoughts. One kind of thought creates disturbances in our mind, while another creates calmness and peace within. Suppose suffering comes, then we can go on complaining and screaming about it and get disturbed thinking, ‘Why me?’ This way, we add more pain to our miseries. On the other hand, devotees, after making all the efforts to remove the cause of suffering, think that God is the controller of everything and that God has sent this suffering either to learn something from it or to exhaust my past karma or something beneficial may come out from this, which I don’t know. Such a thought helps us to go through the suffering with a calm mind. We have to suffer anyway, then why not suffer calmly and strengthen our faith in God? We can apply the same kind of thinking in all unfavorable situations.

(iii) Engaged in selfless service to all:   Realization of Oneness naturally leads to selfless service to all beings.  A mother feels oneness with her child.  As a consequence, she is always ready to serve her child.  When a seeker of Truth or a Jnana Yogi realizes that all beings are not different from him/her, then he/she is always ready to serve all beings.  Such a service has no worldly motive like material gain or name or fame. Just as the left hand of a person is ready to help the right hand when it is injured, such a realized Jnani is ready to serve all beings, considering them as part of him/herself.

Practical Hints:  We can start seeing Atman or Brahman in our family members and friends and render services without any selfish motive, thinking that ‘I am serving God.’ Then, we can expand our circle to all beings. It is also good to get engaged in selfless service projects as offering our worship to the Living God.

Worship of the people who try to realize the formless God:

We know the worship of those who try to realize God with form. They decorate God, offer flowers, incense, lamps, and food, sing God’s glories, do japa, and meditate. What kind of worship of those who try to realize the formless God?

The Jnana Yogis, who try to realize the formless God through the practice of analysis and meditation, make efforts to experience that (i) Brahman alone is real, and all else is unreal, meaning impermanent, (ii) one’s own true identity is Atman, which is Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence- Knowledge-Bliss Absolute), and (iii) Atman is Brahman. This practice and selfless service to all seeing the same Atman in them are the worship of the Jnana Yogis. In the end, they merge in Brahman.

They also reach Me:    

In the second shloka of this chapter, Shri Krishna said that those who worship God with form, whose minds are fixed on Him, are ever steadfast, and endowed with supreme faith are better Yogis. In this shloka, He said that the Jnana Yogis described above, who worship the formless God, also attain Him. In the Bhagavad Gita (7.18), Shri Krishna says that the Jnanis are My very Self. Mundaka Upanishad (3.2.9) says, ‘One who knows Brahman becomes one with Brahman.’ Thus, the Jnana Yogis who worship the formless God also reach the same God realized by the worshippers of God with form. There is nothing higher or lower among the great souls who have realized God either way.

Then, why did Shri Krishna first say that those who worship God with form are better yogis? The answer is in the next shloka.