Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 12 of 18 · 20 verses
The Way of Devotion
Bhakti Yoga
What this chapter teaches
The most accessible path to liberation: steady, loving devotion. Krishna delineates the qualities of the ideal seeker — free from malice, patient, content, compassionate.
Arjuna asks: between the path of the personal Divine (saguṇa) and the path of the formless Absolute (nirguṇa), which is better? Krishna says that devotion to the personal form is easier for embodied beings. He then outlines a progressive path: begin with practice, then surrender the fruits, then cultivate knowledge, then meditation, then simply perform all actions for the Divine. The chapter ends with the beautiful portrait of the ideal devotee — 12 verses describing qualities like compassion, contentment, purity, freedom from fear and malice.
All 20 verses — Sanskrit, transliteration, English
अर्जुन उवाचएवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते।येचाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः॥
arjuna uvācaevaṁ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṁ paryupāsate|yecāpyakṣaramavyaktaṁ teṣāṁ ke yogavittamāḥ ||
Arjuna said Those devotees who, being thus ever dedicated, meditate on You, and those again (who meditate) on the Immutable, the Unmanifested-of them, who are the best experiencers of yoga [(Here) yoga means samadhi, spiritual absorption.] ?
श्री भगवानुवाचमय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते।श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः॥
śrī bhagavānuvācamayyāveśya mano ye māṁ nityayuktā upāsate|śraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāḥ ||
The Blessed Lord said Those who meditate on Me by fixing their minds on Me with steadfast devotion (and) being endowed with supreme faith-they are considered to be the most perfect yogis according to Me.
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्॥
ye tvakṣaramanirdeśyamavyaktaṁ paryupāsate|sarvatragamacintyaṁ ca kūṭasthamacalaṁ dhruvam ||
संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥
saṁniyamyendriyagrāmaṁ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ|te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ||
By fully controlling all the organs and always being even-minded, they, engaged in the welfare of all beings, attain Me alone.
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम्। अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते॥
kleśo'dhikatarasteṣāmavyaktāsaktacetasām | avyaktā hi gatirduḥkhaṁ dehavadbhiravāpyate ||
For them who have their minds attached to the Unmanifested the struggle is greater; for, the Goal which is the Unmanifest is attained with difficulty by the embodied ones.
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः।अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते॥
ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi saṁnyasya matparāḥ|ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate ||
As for those who, having dedicated all actions to Me and accepted Me as the supreme, meditate by thinking of Me with single-minded concentration only-.
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्।भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम्॥
teṣāmahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṁsārasāgarāt|bhavāmi nacirātpārtha mayyāveśitacetasām ||
O son of Prtha, for them who have their minds absorbed in Me, I become, without delay, the Deliverer from the sea of the world which is fraught with death.
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय।निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः॥
mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya|nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ ||
Fix the mind on Me alone; in Me alone rest the intellect. There is no doubt that hereafter you will dwell in Me alone. [For the sake of metre, eva and atah (in the second line of the verse) are not joined together (to form evatah).]
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्।अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय॥
atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram|abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṁ dhanañjaya ||
If, however, you are unable to establish the mind steadily on Me, then, O Dhananjaya, seek to attain Me through the Yoga of Practice.
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव।मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि॥
abhyāse'pyasamartho'si matkarmaparamo bhava|madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvan siddhimavāpsyasi ||
If you are unable even to practise, be intent on works for Me. By undertaking works for Me as well, you will attain perfection. [Identity with Brahman.]
अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः।सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान्॥
athaitadapyaśakto'si kartuṁ madyogamāśritaḥ|sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṁ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān ||
If you are unable to do even this, in that case, having resorted to the Yoga for Me, thereafter renounce the results of all works by becoming controlled in mind.
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्॥
śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṁ viśiṣyate|dhyānātkarmaphalatyāgastyāgācchāntiranantaram ||
Knowledge is surely superior to practice; meditation surpasses knowledge. The renunciation of the results of works (excels) meditation. From renunciation, Peace follows immediately.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च।निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca|nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ||
One who is free from malice toward all beings, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, equal in joy and sorrow, and forgiving —
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः।मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ|mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||
He who is ever content, who is a yogi, who has self-control, who has firm conviction, who has dedicated his mind and intellect to Me-he who is such a devotee of Mine is dear to Me.
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः।हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः॥
yasmānnodvijate loko lokānnodvijate ca yaḥ|harṣāmarṣabhayodvegairmukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ ||
He, too, owing to whom the world is not disturbed, and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy, impatience, fear and anxiety, is dear to Me.
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः।सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥
anapekṣaḥ śucirdakṣa udāsīno gatavyathaḥ|sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||
He who has no desires, who is pure, who is dextrous, who is impartial, who is free from fear, who has renounced every undertaking-he who is (such) a devotee of Mine is dear to Me.
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 does not rejoice, does not fret, does not lament, does not hanker; who gives up good and bad, who is filled with devotion-he is dear to Me.
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः।शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः॥
samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ|śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ ||
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येनकेनचित्।अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्ितमान्मे प्रियो नरः॥
tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yenakenacit|aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhakitamānme priyo naraḥ ||
The person to whom denunciation and praise are the same, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, steady-minded, and full of devotion is dear to Me.
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते।श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः॥
ye tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate|śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste'tīva me priyāḥ ||
But [Tu (but) is used to distinguish those who have attained the highest Goal from the aspirants.-Tr.] those devotees who accept Me as the supreme Goal, and with faith seek for this ambrosia [M.S.'s reading is dharmamrtam-nectar in the form of virtue. Virtue is called nectar because it leads to Immortality, or because it is sweet like nectar.] which is indistinguishable from the virtues as stated above, they are very dear to Me.
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