Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 12 of 18

Bhakti Yoga

भक्तियोग — The Yoga of Devotion · 20 verses

All 20 verses

Sanskrit, transliteration and English meaning for every verse.

1. 12.1 · Arjuna

   एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते ।
   ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥

   evaṃ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṃ paryupāsate |
   ye cāpyakṣaramavyaktaṃ teṣāṃ ke yogavittamāḥ ||

   Arjuna said: Those devotees who, ever steadfast, worship you in this way, and those who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest — which of them has the better knowledge of yoga?

2. 12.2 · Krishna

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

   mayyāveśya mano ye māṃ nityayuktā upāsate |
   śraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāḥ ||

   The Lord said: Those who fix their minds on me and worship me, ever steadfast and filled with supreme faith — I consider them the most perfect in yoga.

3. 12.3 · Krishna

   ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते ।
   सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥

   ye tvakṣaramanirdeśyamavyaktaṃ paryupāsate |
   sarvatragamacintyaṃ ca kūṭasthamacalaṃ dhruvam ||

   But those who worship the imperishable — the indefinable, the unmanifest, the all-pervading, the unthinkable, the unchanging, the immovable, the eternal —

4. 12.4 · Krishna

   संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।
   ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

   saṃniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ |
   te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ||

   — restraining all their senses, even-minded in every situation and rejoicing in the welfare of all beings, they too reach me.

5. 12.5 · Krishna

   क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।
   अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥

   kleśo’dhikatarasteṣāmavyaktāsaktacetasām |
   avyaktā hi gatirduḥkhaṃ dehavadbhiravāpyate ||

   Greater is the difficulty of those whose minds are set on the unmanifest, for the goal of the unmanifest is hard for embodied beings to attain.

6. 12.6 · Krishna

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

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

   But those who surrender all their actions to me, regarding me as the supreme goal, and worship me, meditating on me with undivided devotion —

7. 12.7 · Krishna

   तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् ।
   भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥

   teṣāmahaṃ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṃsārasāgarāt |
   bhavāmi nacirātpārtha mayyāveśitacetasām ||

   — for them, whose minds are absorbed in me, I soon become the deliverer from the ocean of death and rebirth, Arjuna.

8. 12.8 · Krishna

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

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

   Fix your mind on me alone and let your intellect dwell in me. Then, without doubt, you will live in me hereafter.

9. 12.9 · Krishna

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

   atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram |
   abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṃ dhanaṃjaya ||

   If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on me, then seek to reach me through the yoga of practice, Arjuna.

10. 12.10 · Krishna

    अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव ।
    मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥

    abhyāse’pyasamartho’si matkarmaparamo bhava |
    madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvansiddhimavāpsyasi ||

    If you are unable even to practise, then devote yourself to work for my sake. Even by doing actions for me, you will attain perfection.

11. 12.11 · Krishna

    अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः ।
    सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥

    athaitadapyaśakto’si kartuṃ madyogamāśritaḥ |
    sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān ||

    If you cannot do even this, then take refuge in me and, with self-control, give up the fruits of all your actions.

12. 12.12 · Krishna

    श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।
    ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥

    śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṃ viśiṣyate |
    dhyānātkarmaphalatyāgastyāgācchāntiranantaram ||

    Knowledge is better than mere practice; meditation is better than knowledge; and giving up the fruits of action is better than meditation — for peace follows immediately upon such renunciation.

13. 12.13 · Krishna · key verse

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

    adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca |
    nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ||

    One who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, balanced in pain and pleasure, and forgiving —

14. 12.14 · Krishna

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

    saṃtuṣṭaḥ satataṃ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ |
    mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||

    — ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, firm in conviction, with mind and intellect offered to me: such a devotee is dear to me.

15. 12.15 · Krishna

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

    yasmānnodvijate loko lokānnodvijate ca yaḥ |
    harṣāmarṣabhayodvegairmukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ ||

    One by whom the world is not disturbed, and who is not disturbed by the world; who is free from excitement, impatience, fear and anxiety — such a one is dear to me.

16. 12.16 · Krishna

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

    anapekṣaḥ śucirdakṣa udāsīno gatavyathaḥ |
    sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||

    One who depends on nothing, who is pure, capable, impartial and untroubled, and who has given up every selfish undertaking — such a devotee is dear to me.

17. 12.17 · Krishna

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

    yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati |
    śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhaktimānyaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||

    One who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor craves, who has let go of both the pleasant and the unpleasant, and who is full of devotion — such a one is dear to me.

18. 12.18 · Krishna

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

    samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ |
    śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ ||

    One who is the same towards friend and foe, in honour and dishonour, in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachment —

19. 12.19 · Krishna

    तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् ।
    अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥

    tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit |
    aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimānme priyo naraḥ ||

    — who is equal in praise and blame, quiet, content with whatever comes, not attached to any home, steady in mind and full of devotion — such a person is dear to me.

20. 12.20 · Krishna

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

    ye tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṃ yathoktaṃ paryupāsate |
    śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste’tīva me priyāḥ ||

    But those who follow this immortal dharma as I have described it, endowed with faith and holding me as their supreme goal — those devotees are exceedingly dear to me.