Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

12th chapter is called Bhakti Yoga or Devotional Service. This is last chapter in Bhakti Yoga conception

All 18 chapters in BG talks about Bhakti but first 6 chapters focuses on Karma and how karma leads to Bhakti, last 6 chapters talks about Jayan and how Jayan leads to Bhakti, middle 6 chapters focuses on Bhakti itself. 

In 10th chapter Arjuna has accepted Krishna’s supremacy and asked to see Krishna’s greatness in nature Vibhuti, then Krishna shows how He sustains the whole world with one fragment of His being 10.42 and in response to that Arjuna asked to see Virat rupa and then Krishna shows him Virat rupa in 11th chapter. Then Arjuna asked about the impersonal aspect of Absolute Truth. 9.15 underlies critical flow of later chapters, 

BG 9.15 

jñāna-yajñena cāpy anye
yajanto mām upāsate
ekatvena pṛthaktvena
bahudhā viśvato-mukham

ekatvena, in oneness; 

pṛthaktvena bahudhā, through the worship of demigods;

viśvato-mukham

These are three ways in which people do Jyan Yajna, worship Krishna through sacrifice of knowledge,  

Out of this pṛthaktvena bahudhā is talked about in 9th chapter itself from 9.20 to 9.28 where Krishna says that those who worship demigods has to continue the cycle of birth and death in 9.21 gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante.

And in 9.22 devotees I protect them, 

ananyāś cintayanto māṁ
ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ
yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham

so the point is 3 things are talked about and out of which 2 have been dealt with. first was demigos worship that is talked about in that chapter itself then Visva Rupa Upasana is talked briefly in that chapter from verses 16 to 19 and then it is talked about in 11th chapter. 

Now what remains is ekatvena, oneness.

So what does this refer to?

What is the concept of worship AT in oneness thinking oneself to be one with AT. That is what Arjuna will question now, so in that sense 12.1 in not immediately related to 11.55 but is exploration of discussion which has started earlier. 

Ch 12 overview:

1-7: Worship of personal form is superior to impersonal Brahman.

8-12: Talk about progressive stages of Bhakti.

13-20: Talk about qualities that endear (these qualities Krishna likes in His devotees) one to Krishna.

So this chapter talks about how Bhakti is the best process for transcendence, then how Bhakti can be practices at multiple levels and how one will cultivate qualities that will make one devotee. 

Bg 12.1

arjuna uvāca
evaṁ satata-yuktā ye
bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate
ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaṁ
teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ

Synonyms: 

arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; evam — thus; satata — always; yuktāḥ — engaged; ye — those who; bhaktāḥ — devotees; tvām — You; paryupāsate — properly worship; ye — those who; ca — also; api — again; akṣaram — beyond the senses; avyaktam — the unmanifested; teṣām — of them; ke — who; yoga–vit–tamāḥ — the most perfect in knowledge of yoga.

Translation: 

Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?

This an interesting question both are on transcendental path, so who is best among these category. 

If we look at the words, bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate, so it is clearly referring to devotional path devotional conception, tvāṁ is You. 

evaṁ satata-yuktā ye, so first part is clearly referring to Bhaktas as satata-yuktā is mentioned and bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate.

End of transcription.