The concept of God and the gods in the Bhagavad-Gita

God, incarnate (having taken on bodily form, 9.11) as Krishna, is one (and many--9.15, 11.5-), supreme, infinite, all-encompassing, all-pervasive (6.30-31, 9.4), omnipotent (beyond action (13.29-31), the beginningless and endless (11.19, 11.47), immortality and death (15.5), being and non-being (9.19) and beyond (11.37), neither being nor non-being (13.12), source of all (10.4) and especially of all that is excellent (chapter 10, especially 10.21), personal, self-revealing (11.48-), indweller in human beings (8.4, 8.9, 10.11, 10.20, 11.18, and 15.all), savior of sinners (9.30-31), the guardian of eternal sacred duty (11.18), destroyer (11.20-, 11.49) and dissolution (7.6). God is the universal father, mother, friend, lover, grandfather (9.17; 11.43). (The next sentence is a bit rough:) God is manifest in nature and mind (7.4), as the sustaining life force (7.5), a teacher (11.43), illuminating the entire field (13.33).

The absolute, ineffable, unmanifest, inconceivable, transcendent, unchanging, Infinite Spirit (7.13, 7.24, 7.29)--the focus of the path of knowledge--identical with the self (13.11-12), is the womb of God, from which finite, created beings come forth (14.3-4, 14.27). The philosophic discipline of knowledge also leads to the goal: beyond rebirth.

God is attainable. There are many paths, but the most favored is the path of devotion, or the heartfelt love and worship of God. God recognizes and accepts the worship of those who worship the gods (7.23; 9.20-25, 10.15). Chapter 17 tells of three attitudes of worship (on service, see 17.20-22, 18.44). "Enriched by sacrifice, the gods will give you the delights you desire" (3.12; 7.22). Nevertheless, true worship is not done for personal benefit.