Recently I am studying Essays on the Gita, Actual Gita text, Life of Sri Krishna and traditional yoga together. And I came to the conclusion that traditional yogis whether of Knowledge or bhakti, did not have an experience of Purushottama as described in the Gita. either they had the experience of Akshara Brahma ( Jnan yogis) or the experience of a personal god in the form of ishta devata (bhakti saints) but both of them did not have the vision of the Time Spirit which only Arjuna and in recent times The Mother and Sri Aurobindo had. The result of this partial realization created the gulf between the world and God, which further led to fall of India. Am I right in my understanding regarding this topic?
Both your understanding is true and right.
Before the Gita, there is the main emphasis is primarily on the two sides or aspects of creation, – the world of ever changing appearances and the stable unchanging Self behind it. The Brahman Reality is regarded as the Transcendent but It has nothing to do with the Creation. The gods and goddesses are primarily part of the cosmic management. Now there are hints of the Beyond but nothing more. The Gita brings in this additional dimension of the Uttama Purusha, the third Purusha, the Purushottama which fills in all the gaps of understanding about our origin, the reality of the individual soul, the Divine Will in creation and all the rest.
Yes, the Vision of the Time Spirit is a glimpse of the Supramental that unites in itself the Transcendent, Universal and the Individual, the passive and the dynamic Brahman. But there are other aspects and sides of the supramental consciousness and its workings especially of the Divine Mother that is not revealed there. It was not needed then and the world had to wait for Sri Krishna to return as Sri Aurobindo and complete it.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
