Chapter 12
भक्तियोग
Bhakti Yoga
The twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Bhakti Yoga". In this chapter, Krishna emphasizes the superiority of Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion) over all other types of spiritual disciplines and reveals various aspects of devotion. He further explains that the devotees who perform pure devotional service to Him, with their consciousness, merged in Him and all their actions dedicated to Him, are quickly liberated from the cycle of life and death. He also describes the various qualities of the devotees who are very dear to Him.
अर्जुन उवाच |...
12.1 Arjuna said Those devotees who, ever steadfast, thus worship Thee and those also who worship t...
श्रीभगवानुवाच |...
12.2 The Blessed Lord said Those who, fixing their mind on Me, worship Me, ever steadfast and endow...
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते |...
Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka...
सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः |...
12.4 Having restrained all the senses, even-minded everywhere, intent on the welfare of all beings ...
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् |...
12.5 Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the unmanifested; for the goal; the unmanifeste...
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्परः |...
12.6 But to those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me as the supreme gaol, me...
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् |...
12.7 To those whose minds are set on Me, O Arjuna, verily I become ere long the saviour out of the o...
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय |...
12.8 Fix thy mind in Me only, thy intellect in Me, (then) thou shalt no doubt live in Me alone herea...
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् |...
12.9 If thou art unable to fix thy mind steadily on Me, then by the Yoga of constant practice do tho...
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव |...
12.10 If thou art unable to practise even this Abhyasa Yoga, be thou intent on doing actions for My ...
अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः |...
12.11 If thou art unable to do even this, then, resorting to union with Me, renounce the fruits of a...
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते |...
12.12 Better indeed is knowledge than practice; than knowledge meditation is better; than meditation...
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च |...
12.13 He who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from attachmen...
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः |...
12.14 Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessed of firm conviction, with the mi...
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः |...
12.15 He by whom the world is not agitated and who cannot be agitated by the world, and who is freed...
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः |...
12.16 He who is free from wants, pure, expert, unconcerned, and free from pain, renouncing all under...
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति |...
12.17 He who neither rejoices, nor hates, nor grieves, nor desires, renouncing good and evil, and wh...
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः |...
Swami Sivananda did not comment on this sloka...
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् |...
12.19 He to whom censure and praise are eal, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, of a st...
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते |...
12.20 They verily who follow this immortal Dharma (law or doctrine) as described above, endowed with...