Gita 11.55
Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga
मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्तः सङ्गवर्जितः | निर्वैरः सर्वभूतेषु यः स मामेति पाण्डव ॥
mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ | nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava ||
In essence: The chapter's final teaching distilled to essence: work for Me, aim for Me, love Me, release attachment, hold no hatred - and you will reach Me. The path of bhakti in five qualities.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Five qualities seem like a lot to develop. Is this a sequential path or must all be present simultaneously?"
Guru: "Look at them again. Are they really separate?"
Sadhak: "Work for God, aim for God, love God, release attachment, hold no hatred..."
Guru: "If you truly love God - mad-bhakta - wouldn't you naturally work for God and aim for God?"
Sadhak: "Yes, those follow from love."
Guru: "And if you see God in all beings - which follows from devotion to God - could you hold enmity toward any being?"
Sadhak: "No, enmity would be toward God in disguise."
Guru: "And if your supreme goal is God, what else would you be attached to?"
Sadhak: "So they're really one quality appearing as five?"
Guru: "Exactly. Bhakti unfolds into these five dimensions. You don't develop them separately; you develop devotion, and these naturally emerge. The five are diagnostic signs that devotion is genuine."
Sadhak: "So I focus on devotion, and the rest follows?"
Guru: "Focus on devotion, and use the five as mirrors. If enmity arises, devotion isn't complete. If attachment persists, devotion isn't mature. The five qualities both emerge from and deepen devotion."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Five-quality check-in: Before beginning the day, briefly contemplate the five qualities. (1) Work: what will I do today as offering? (2) Goal: is my ultimate aim clear? (3) Devotion: do I feel love toward the Divine this morning? (4) Attachment: what am I gripping too tightly? (5) Enmity: is there anyone I'm holding hostility toward? Address any gaps before engaging the day.
Nirvaira practice: Throughout the day, notice any enmity arising - toward people, situations, even ideas. When you catch it, pause. See the object of enmity as another face of the One. You don't have to like or approve; just release the hostility. Opposition without hatred is possible.
Coming-to-God contemplation: Before sleep, feel the day's activities as 'mat-karma' - work done for God. Feel your life's direction as 'mat-parama' - aimed toward the Divine. Feel your heart's orientation as 'mad-bhakta' - in love with the Source. Let any remaining attachment or enmity dissolve as you move toward sleep, toward rest, toward return.