Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 12
अर्जुन उवाच | एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते | ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ||१२-१||
arjuna uvāca . evaṃ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṃ paryupāsate . ye cāpyakṣaramavyaktaṃ teṣāṃ ke yogavittamāḥ ||12-1||
Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?
श्रीभगवानुवाच | मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते | श्रद्धया परयोपेताः ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ||१२-२||
śrībhagavānuvāca . mayyāveśya mano ye māṃ nityayuktā upāsate . śraddhayā parayopetāḥ te me yuktatamā matāḥ ||12-2||
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते | सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यञ्च कूटस्थमचलन्ध्रुवम् ||१२-३||
ye tvakṣaramanirdeśyamavyaktaṃ paryupāsate . sarvatragamacintyañca kūṭasthamacalandhruvam ||12-3||
But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable – the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth – by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.
सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः | ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ||१२-४||
sanniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ . te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ||12-4||
But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable – the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth – by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् | अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ||१२-५||
kleśo.adhikatarasteṣāmavyaktāsaktacetasām || avyaktā hi gatirduḥkhaṃ dehavadbhiravāpyate ||12-5||
For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्परः | अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ||१२-६||
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi saṃnyasya matparaḥ . ananyenaiva yogena māṃ dhyāyanta upāsate ||12-6||
But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā—for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् | भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ||१२-७||
teṣāmahaṃ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṃsārasāgarāt . bhavāmi nacirātpārtha mayyāveśitacetasām ||12-7||
But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā – for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय | निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ||१२-८||
mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ niveśaya . nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ ||12-8||
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् | अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ||१२-९||
atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram . abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṃ dhanañjaya ||12-9||
My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me.
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव | मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ||१२-१०||
abhyāse.apyasamartho.asi matkarmaparamo bhava . madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvansiddhimavāpsyasi ||12-10||
If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.
अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः | सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ||१२-११||
athaitadapyaśakto.asi kartuṃ madyogamāśritaḥ . sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān ||12-11||
If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते | ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ||१२-१२||
śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṃ viśiṣyate . dhyānātkarmaphalatyāgastyāgācchāntiranantaram ||12-12||
If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च | निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ||१२-१३||
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca . nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ||12-13||
One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः | मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ||१२-१४||
santuṣṭaḥ satataṃ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ . mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||12-14||
One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः | हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ||१२-१५||
yasmānnodvijate loko lokānnodvijate ca yaḥ . harṣāmarṣabhayodvegairmukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ ||12-15||
He by whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me.
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः | सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ||१२-१६||
anapekṣaḥ śucirdakṣa udāsīno gatavyathaḥ . sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||12-16||
My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and not striving for some result, is very dear to Me.
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति | शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ||१२-१७||
yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati . śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhaktimānyaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||12-17||
One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things – such a devotee is very dear to Me.
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः | शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ||१२-१८||
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ . śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ ||12-18||
One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service – such a person is very dear to Me.
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् | अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ||१२-१९||
tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit . aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimānme priyo naraḥ ||12-19||
One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn’t care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service – such a person is very dear to Me.
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते | श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ||१२-२०||
ye tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṃ yathoktaṃ paryupāsate . śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste.atīva me priyāḥ ||12-20||
Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Me.
