Chapter 12
Bhakti-Yoga
Shlok 12.1
Arjun said
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते।
ये चाऽप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः॥
evam satatayuktāye bhaktāstvām paryupāsate;
ye chā’pyaksharamavyaktam teshām ke yogavittamāhā.
There are devotees who are in constant union with you and offer devotion to you in this way and those who offer devotion to the unmanifest Akshar. Who among them possesses greater knowledge of yoga?
Shlok 12.2
Shrī Bhagwān said
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते।
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः॥
mayyāveshya mano ye mām nityayuktā upāsate;
shraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāhā.
According to me, those devotees who offer devotion to me, having entwined their minds in me, continuously enjoined with me, and have great faith, they are the superior yogī.
Shlok 12.3-4
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्॥
ye tvaksharamanirdeshyamavyaktam paryupāsate;
sarvatragamachintyam cha kūṭasthamachalam dhruvam.
संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥
sanniyamyendriyagrāmam sarvatra samabuddhayaha;
te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāhā.
However, only those devotees who, having kept the senses under control, are intent on the betterment of all beings, are equitable towards all, and offer devotion to the unidentifiable, unmanifest,[84] all-pervasive, inconceivable, immutable, unmoving, and eternal Akshar attain me.
Shlok 12.5
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषाम् अव्यक्ताऽसक्तचेतसाम्।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते॥
klesho’dhikatarasteshām avyaktā’saktachetasām;
avyaktā hi gatirduhkham dehavadbhiravāpyate.
Those who do not join their mind with the unmanifest Aksharbrahma encounter immense difficulty since the end Akshardhām is attained by the embodied with hardship.
Shlok 12.6-7
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः।
अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते॥
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya matparāhā;
ananyenaiva yogena mām dhyāyanta upāsate.
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्।
भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम्॥
teshāmaham samuddhartā mrutyusansārasāgarāt;
bhavāmi nachirātpārtha mayyāveshitachetasām.
However, Arjun, those devotees who offer all karma to me become engrossed in me and while meditating, offer worshipful service to only me with singular yoga. For them—they who have engrossed their minds in me—I immediately become their liberator from the ocean of death.
Shlok 12.8
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः॥
mayyeva mana ādhatswa mayi buddhim niveshaya;
nivasishyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvam na sanshayaha.
Keep your mind on only me, and entwine your intellect in me; you will then become immersed in only me. There is no doubt.
Shlok 12.9
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाऽऽप्तुं धनञ्जय॥
atha chittam samādhātum na shaknoshi mayi sthiram;
abhyāsayogena tato māmichchhā’’ptum dhananjaya.
O Arjun! Otherwise—if you are unable to affix the intellect in me—desire to attain me with the study of yoga.
Shlok 12.10
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव।
मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि॥
abhyāse’pyasamartho’si matkarmaparamo bhava;
madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvansiddhimavāpsyasi.
If you are incapable of studying, become one who performs karma for me. Even by performing karma for me, you will attain the end.
Shlok 12.11
अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः।
सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान्॥
athaitadapyashakto’si kartum madyogamāshritaha;
sarvakarmafalatyāgam tatah kuru yatātmavān.
Or if you, who have sought refuge in my yoga, are incapable of doing even this, then gain control over the mind and renounce the fruits of all karma.
Shlok 12.12
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।
ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्॥
shreyo hi jnānamabhyāsājjnānāddhyānam vishishyate;
dhyānātkarmafalatyāgas-tyāgāchchhāntiranantaram.
Certainly, knowledge is superior to studying. Meditation is better than knowledge, and renouncing the fruits of karma is superior to meditation. One attains peace after renunciation.
Shlok 12.13-14
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥
adveshṭā sarvabhūtānām maitrah karuṇa eva cha;
nirmamo nirahankārah samaduhkhasukhah kshamī.
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥
santushṭah satatam yogī yatātmā druḍhanishchayaha;
mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktah sa me priyaha.
My devotee who is without enmity and friendly to all beings, compassionate, without attachment and ego, steady in pleasure and pain, forgiving, always content, a yogī, in control of the mind and senses, with firm conviction, and has offered their mind and intellect to me—they are dear to me.
Shlok 12.15
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः।
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः॥
yasmānnodvijate loko lokānnodvijate cha yaha;
harshāmarshabhayodvegairmukto yah sa cha me priyaha.
By whom the world is not distressed, one who is not distressed by the world, and who is without delight, anger, fear, and agitation—they are dear to me.
Shlok 12.16
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥
anapekshah shuchirdaksha udāsīno gatavyathaha;
sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktah sa me priyaha.
My devotee who lacks worldly expectations, is pure, skilled in devotion to God, unconcerned with the world, without misery, and has renounced all karma unrelated to Paramātmā—they are dear to me.
Shlok 12.17
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति।
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः॥
yo na hrushyati na dveshṭi na shochati na kānkshati;
shubhāshubhaparityāgī bhaktimānyah sa me priyaha.
One who does not elate, despise, grieve, or possess worldly desires and renounces pure and impure karma that hinder attaining Paramātmā—that devotee is dear to me.
Shlok 12.18-19
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः॥
samah shatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoho;
shītoshṇasukhaduhkheshu samah sangavivarjitaha.
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित्।
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः॥
tulyanindāstutirmaunī santushṭo yena kenachit;
aniketah sthiramatirbhaktimānme priyo naraha.
One who possesses devotion; who sees a friend and an enemy as the same; for whom honor, offense, and also the cold, heat, pleasure, and pain are the same; who is without attachment and understands insult and praise as equal; who remains silent,[85] content with whatever is obtained, unattached to a place, and has a steady mind—they are dear to me.
Shlok 12.20
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः॥
ye tu dharmyāmrutamidam yathoktam paryupāsate;
shraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste’tīva me priyāhā.
Truly, those who savor this nectar that is with dharma[86] as it has been stated are devotees with faith and remain engrossed in me. They are immensely dear to me.
॥इति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे
श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे भक्तियोगो नाम द्वादशोऽध्यायः॥
iti shrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpanishatsu brahmavidyāyām yogashāstre shrīkrushṇārjunasamvāde
bhaktiyogo nāma dvādasho’dhyāyaha
In this way, within the Upanishad-like Shrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā, which is brahmavidyā and a sacred text on yoga, and in the dialogue between Shrī Krishna and Arjun, this concludes the twelfth chapter titled “Bhakti-yoga.”