21 February 2025 The twelfth chapter begins with an intriguing question from Arjuna: Is saguna upāsanā superior to nirguna upāsanā ? Arjuna’s doubt arises because Krishna has been alternately praising both approaches. However, the very premise of this question is flawed. What the scriptures—and Krishna himself—emphasize is that saguna dhyāna is a means, while nirguna Brahma jñāna is the goal. Since a goal cannot be reached without the appropriate means, and a means has no purpose without a goal, the two cannot be directly compared. Instead, they must be understood as complementary stages on the spiritual journey.