Who is better at Bhakti?

Arjuna has got the instruction of akshara and avyakta brahma earlier and also had a viswa roopa darsana. Now he is inquiring Lord:

अर्जुन उवाच
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते।
येचाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः।।12.1।।

Of two groups
a. Those who are devoted to rendering services to the manifest form (viswa roopa)
b. Those who are after the avyakta and akshara i.e., the unmanifest eternal that is beyond speech and mind
who is a better knower of Yoga? (a, or b)?

श्री भगवानुवाच
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते।
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः।।12.2।।
12.2 मयि on Me, आवेश्य fixing, मनः the mind, ये who, माम् Me, नित्ययुक्ताः ever steadfast, उपासते worship, श्रद्धया with faith, परया supreme, उपेताः endowed, ते those, मे of Me, युक्ततमाः the best versed in Yoga, मताः (in My) opinion.

Lord said (a) is best versed in Yoga. Then he is clarifying the second group as follows:

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्।।12.3।।
12.3 ये who, तु verily, अक्षरम् the imperishable, अनिर्देश्यम् the indefinable, अव्यक्तम् the unmanifested, पर्युपासते worship, सर्वत्रगम् the omnipresent, अचिन्त्यम् the unthinkable, च and, कूटस्थम् the unchangeable, अचलम् the immovable, ध्रुवम् the eternal.

संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः।।12.4।।
12.4 संनियम्य having restrained, इन्द्रियग्रामम् the aggregate of the senses, सर्वत्र everywhere, समबुद्धयः even-minded, ते they, प्राप्नुवन्ति obtian, माम् Me, एव only, सर्वभूतहिते in the welfare of all beings, रताः rejoicers.

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम्।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते।।12.5।।
12.5 क्लेशः the trouble, अधिकतरः (is) greater, तेषाम् of those, अव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् whose minds are set on the unmanifested, अव्यक्ता the unmanifested, हि for, गतिः goal, दुःखम् pain, देहवद्भिः by the embodied, अवाप्यते is reached.

So, as long as there is body consciousness (deha vadbhih), it is difficult and painful to reach the goal of avyakta state. Hence the struggle is greater. But they are not any less in devotion. Those who meditate on akshara, avyakta, anirdesya will reach the LORD alone!

So, it is easier to take a "symbol" to worship for those who are embodied! That is the opinion of LORD.

Note: (based on Sri Abhinava Gupta's commentary on 12.3-12.5)
Why the "trouble" of contemplation on akshara, avyakta brahma is more?

Contemplation is done using the instrument called "mind." To contemplate on something that is beyond the "mind" itself, it need to superimpose some attributes on that avyakta like omnipresent, omnipotent etc., so there is a two-fold process of superimposing the attributes and denying them later....

om tat sat