Bhakti Yoga

12.1

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

arjuna uvāca evaṃ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṃ paryupāsate yecāpyakṣaramavyaktaṃ teṣāṃ ke yogavittamāḥ

Arjuna asked, "My Lord, which are the better devotees who worship You: those who try to know You as a Personal God, or those who worship You as Impersonal and Indestructible?"

12.2

श्री भगवानुवाचमय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते। श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः॥

śrī bhagavānuvācamayyāveśya mano ye māṃ nityayuktā upāsate śraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāḥ

Lord Shri Krishna replied: Those who keep their minds fixed on Me, who worship Me always with unwavering faith and concentration, are the very best.

12.3

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते। सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्॥

ye tvakṣaramanirdeśyamavyaktaṃ paryupāsate sarvatragamacintyaṃ ca kūṭasthamacalaṃ dhruvam

Those who worship Me as the Indestructible, the Undefinable, the Omnipresent, the Unthinkable, the Primal, the Immutable, and the Eternal;

12.4

संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः। ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥

saṃniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ

Subduing their senses, viewing all conditions of life with an equal eye, and working for the welfare of all beings, they assuredly come to Me.

12.5

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम्। अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते॥

kleśo'dhikatarasteṣāmavyaktāsaktacetasām avyaktā hi gatirduḥkhaṃ dehavadbhiravāpyate

But they who fix their attention on the Absolute and Impersonal encounter greater hardships, for it is difficult for those who have a body to realize Me as without one.

12.6

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः। अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते॥

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi saṃnyasya matparāḥ ananyenaiva yogena māṃ dhyāyanta upāsate

Verily, those who surrender their actions to Me, who contemplate Me, worship Me, and meditate on Me alone, with no thought other than Me.

12.7

तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्। भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम्॥

teṣāmahaṃ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṃsārasāgarāt bhavāmi nacirātpārtha mayyāveśitacetasām

O Arjuna! I rescue them from the ocean of life and death, for their minds are fixed upon Me.

12.8

मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय। निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः॥

mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ niveśaya nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Then let your mind cling only to Me, let your intellect abide in Me; and without doubt, you will live hereafter in Me alone.

12.9

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्। अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय॥

atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṃ dhanañjaya

But if you cannot fix your mind firmly on Me, then, my beloved friend, try to do so through constant practice.

12.10

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव। मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि॥

abhyāse'pyasamartho'si matkarmaparamo bhava madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvan siddhimavāpsyasi

And if you are not strong enough to practice concentration, then devote yourself to My service, do all your acts for My sake, and you will still attain the goal.

12.11

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः। सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान्॥

athaitadapyaśakto'si kartuṃ madyogamāśritaḥ sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān

And if thou art too weak to do even this, then seek refuge in union with Me, and with perfect self-control renounce the fruits of thy actions.

12.12

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते। ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्॥

śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṃ viśiṣyate dhyānātkarmaphalatyāgastyāgācchāntiranantaram

Knowledge is superior to blind action, meditation is superior to knowledge, renunciation of the fruit of action is superior to meditation, and peace follows from renunciation.

12.13

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥

adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī

He who is incapable of hatred towards any being, who is kind and compassionate, free from selfishness, without pride, equable in pleasure and pain, and forgiving—

12.14

सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥

santuṣṭaḥ satataṃ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

Always content, self-centered, self-controlled, resolute, with mind and reason dedicated to Me, such a devotee of Mine is beloved to Me.

12.15

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः। हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः॥

yasmānnodvijate loko lokānnodvijate ca yaḥ harṣāmarṣabhayodvegairmukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ

He who does not harm the world, and whom the world cannot harm, who is not carried away by any impulse of joy, anger, or fear; such a one is My beloved.

12.16

अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः। सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥

anapekṣaḥ śucirdakṣa udāsīno gatavyathaḥ sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

He who expects nothing, is pure, watchful, indifferent, unruffled, and renounces all initiative—such a one is My beloved.

12.17

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति। शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्ितमान्यः स मे प्रियः॥

yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhakitamānyaḥ sa me priyaḥ

He who is beyond joy and hate, who neither laments nor desires, to whom good and evil fortunes are the same, such a one is beloved to Me.

12.18

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः। शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः॥

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ

He to whom friend and foe are alike, who welcomes equally honor and dishonor, heat and cold, pleasure and pain, and who is enamored of nothing—

12.19

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येनकेनचित्। अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्ितमान्मे प्रियो नरः॥

tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yenakenacit aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhakitamānme priyo naraḥ

Who is indifferent to praise and censure, enjoys silence, is content with every fate, has no fixed abode, is steadfast in mind, and filled with devotion—such a one is My beloved.

12.20

ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते। श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः॥

ye tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṃ yathoktaṃ paryupāsate śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste'tīva me priyāḥ

Verily, those who love the spiritual wisdom as I have taught, whose faith never wavers, and who focus their entire being on Me, they are indeed My most beloved.