Arjuna starts Chapter 12 with a vital question that settles a perennial theological debate: which path is better? He contrasts two groups of seekers: those who worship Kṛṣṇa’s personal form with constant devotion (‘Bhaktās’) and those who meditate on the impersonal, unmanifested Brahman—the formless light (‘Avyaktaṁ’). Arjuna wants Kṛṣṇa to act as a judge and declare who is ‘Yoga-vittamāḥ’—the most proficient in yoga. This question is crucial because the path of the formless is often seen as more ‘intellectual’ or ‘advanced’, while devotion is sometimes seen as ‘simple’. Arjuna wants to know the Lord’s own preference. This inquiry marks the beginning of the section on Bhakti Yoga. Arjuna, having seen both the human-like Kṛṣṇa and the terrifying Universal Form, is now trying to understand the most effective way for a human being to connect with the Absolute. He is looking for the ‘gold standard’ of spiritual practice.