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Chapter 12

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12: Arjuna, after witnessing Krishna’s awesome Universal Form, wishes to clarify his own position as a devotee, the highest worshiper of the Supreme. He thus asks whether worshiping Krishna through devotional service or worshiping the impersonal is superior. Krishna immediately responds saying that one engaged in His personal service is the topmost. One should therefore engage in Krishna’s service and fix his mind solely upon Krishna, and, if that cannot be done, one should follow the rules and regulations of bhakti-yoga. Krishna then describes other processes that eventually lead to His pure devotional service.

Krishna next mentions qualities that endear a devotee to Him such as one who is free from false ego, one who is equal in both happiness and distress, a person who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Him. Those who completely engage themselves with faith, making Him the supreme goal, are very, very dear to Him.

Slogam 1:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.1

arjuna uvāca

evaḿ satata-yuktā ye

bhaktās tvāḿ paryupāsate

ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaḿ

teṣāḿ ke yoga-vittamāḥ



Translation 


Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who...View More

Slogam 2:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.2

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

mayy āveśya mano ye māḿ

nitya-yuktā upāsate

śraddhayā parayopetās

te me yukta-tamā matāḥ



Translation 


The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who fix their minds on My personal form and are always engaged in worshiping Me with great ...View More

Slogam 3-4:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.3-12.4

ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam

avyaktaḿ paryupāsate

sarvatra-gam acintyaḿ ca

kūṭa-stham acalaḿ dhruvam


sanniyamyendriya-grāmaḿ

sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ

te prāpnuvanti mām eva

sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ



Translation 


But those who fully worship the unmanifested, t...View More

Slogam 5:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.5

kleśo ’dhika-taras teṣām

avyaktāsakta-cetasām

avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaḿ

dehavadbhir avāpyate



Translation 


For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipli...View More

Slogam 6-7:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.6 - 12.7

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi

mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ

ananyenaiva yogena

māḿ dhyāyanta upāsate


teṣām ahaḿ samuddhartā

mṛtyu-saḿsāra-sāgarāt

bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha

mayy āveśita-cetasām



Translation 


But those who worship Me, giving up all their act...View More

Slogam 8:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.8

mayy eva mana ādhatsva

mayi buddhiḿ niveśaya

nivasiṣyasi mayy eva

ata ūrdhvaḿ na saḿśayaḥ



Translation 


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.

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Slogam 9:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.9

atha cittaḿ samādhātuḿ

na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram

abhyāsa-yogena tato

mām icchāptuḿ dhanañ-jaya



Translation 


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 wa...View More

Slogam 10:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.10

abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si

mat-karma-paramo bhava

mad-artham api karmāṇi

kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi



Translation 


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.

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Slogam 11:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.11

athaitad apy aśakto ’si

kartuḿ mad-yogam āśritaḥ

sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaḿ

tataḥ kuru yatātmavān



Translation 


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.

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Slogam 12:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.12

śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj

jñānād dhyānaḿ viśiṣyate

dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas

tyāgāc chāntir anantaram



Translation 


If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, an...View More

Slogam 13-14:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.13-12.14

adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāḿ

maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca

nirmamo nirahańkāraḥ

sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī


santuṣṭaḥ satataḿ yogī

yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ

mayy arpita-mano-buddhir

yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ



Translation 


One who is not envious ...View More

Slogam 15:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.15

yasmān nodvijate loko

lokān nodvijate ca yaḥ

harṣāmarṣa-bhayodvegair

mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ



Translation 


He for 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 ...View More

Slogam 16:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.16

anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa

udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ

sarvārambha-parityāgī

yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ



Translation 


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 som...View More

Slogam 17:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.17

yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi

na śocati na kāńkṣati

śubhāśubha-parityāgī

bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ



Translation 


One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things—such a devotee...View More

Slogam 18-19:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.18-12.19

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca

tathā mānāpamānayoḥ

śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu

samaḥ sańga-vivarjitaḥ


tulya-nindā-stutir maunī

santuṣṭo yena kenacit

aniketaḥ sthira-matir

bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ



Translation 


One who is equal to friends and enemies...View More

Slogam 20:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12.20

ye tu dharmāmṛtam idaḿ

yathoktaḿ paryupāsate

śraddadhānā mat-paramā

bhaktās te ’tīva me priyāḥ



Translation 


Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very...View More