Chapter 12 · Bhakti Yoga

ಅರ್ಜುನ ಉವಾಚ ಏವಂ ಸತತಯುಕ್ತಾ ಯೇ ಭಕ್ತಾಸ್ತ್ವಾಂ ಪರ್ಯುಪಾಸತೇ। ಯೇಚಾಪ್ಯಕ್ಷರಮವ್ಯಕ್ತಂ ತೇಷಾಂ ಕೇ ಯೋಗವಿತ್ತಮಾಃ

arjuna uvācha evaṁ satata-yuktā ye bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate ye chāpy akṣharam avyaktaṁ teṣhāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ

📖 Meaning

Arjuna said, "Which of them are better versed in Yoga—those who steadfastly worship You, or those who worship the imperishable and the unmanifested?"

ಶ್ರೀ ಭಗವಾನುವಾಚಮಯ್ಯಾವೇಶ್ಯ ಮನೋ ಯೇ ಮಾಂ ನಿತ್ಯಯುಕ್ತಾ ಉಪಾಸತೇ। ಶ್ರದ್ಧಯಾ ಪರಯೋಪೇತಾಸ್ತೇ ಮೇ ಯುಕ್ತತಮಾ ಮತಾಃ

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha mayy āveśhya mano ye māṁ nitya-yuktā upāsate śhraddhayā parayopetās te me yuktatamā matāḥ

📖 Meaning

The Blessed Lord said, "In My opinion, those who fix their minds on Me, worship Me ever steadfastly, and are endowed with supreme faith, are the best in Yoga."

ಯೇ ತ್ವಕ್ಷರಮನಿರ್ದೇಶ್ಯಮವ್ಯಕ್ತಂ ಪರ್ಯುಪಾಸತೇ। ಸರ್ವತ್ರಗಮಚಿನ್ತ್ಯಂ ಚ ಕೂಟಸ್ಥಮಚಲಂ ಧ್ರುವಮ್

ye tv akṣharam anirdeśhyam avyaktaṁ paryupāsate sarvatra-gam achintyañcha kūṭa-stham achalandhruvam sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ

📖 Meaning

Those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the omnipresent, the unthinkable, the immovable, and the eternal.

ಸಂನಿಯಮ್ಯೇನ್ದ್ರಿಯಗ್ರಾಮಂ ಸರ್ವತ್ರ ಸಮಬುದ್ಧಯಃ। ತೇ ಪ್ರಾಪ್ನುವನ್ತಿ ಮಾಮೇವ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಹಿತೇ ರತಾಃ

sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ

📖 Meaning

Having restrained all the senses, being even-minded everywhere, and intent on the welfare of all beings, they verily come unto Me.

ಕ್ಲೇಶೋಽಧಿಕತರಸ್ತೇಷಾಮವ್ಯಕ್ತಾಸಕ್ತಚೇತಸಾಮ್। ಅವ್ಯಕ್ತಾ ಹಿ ಗತಿರ್ದುಃಖಂ ದೇಹವದ್ಭಿರವಾಪ್ಯತೇ

kleśho ’dhikataras teṣhām avyaktāsakta-chetasām avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate

📖 Meaning

Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the unmanifested, for the goal of the unmanifested is very hard for the embodied to reach.

ಯೇ ತು ಸರ್ವಾಣಿ ಕರ್ಮಾಣಿ ಮಯಿ ಸಂನ್ಯಸ್ಯ ಮತ್ಪರಾಃ। ಅನನ್ಯೇನೈವ ಯೋಗೇನ ಮಾಂ ಧ್ಯಾಯನ್ತ ಉಪಾಸತೇ

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-paraḥ ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate

📖 Meaning

But to those who worship Me, renouncing all actions in Me, regarding Me as the supreme goal, meditating on Me with single-minded yoga.

ತೇಷಾಮಹಂ ಸಮುದ್ಧರ್ತಾ ಮೃತ್ಯುಸಂಸಾರಸಾಗರಾತ್। ಭವಾಮಿ ನಚಿರಾತ್ಪಾರ್ಥ ಮಯ್ಯಾವೇಶಿತಚೇತಸಾಮ್

teṣhām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛityu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt bhavāmi na chirāt pārtha mayy āveśhita-chetasām

📖 Meaning

To those whose minds are set on Me, O Arjuna, verily I soon become the savior out of the ocean of Samsara.

ಮಯ್ಯೇವ ಮನ ಆಧತ್ಸ್ವ ಮಯಿ ಬುದ್ಧಿಂ ನಿವೇಶಯ। ನಿವಸಿಷ್ಯಸಿ ಮಯ್ಯೇವ ಅತ ಊರ್ಧ್ವಂ ನ ಸಂಶಯಃ

mayy eva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśhaya nivasiṣhyasi mayy eva ata ūrdhvaṁ na sanśhayaḥ

📖 Meaning

Fix your mind on Me, and your intellect in Me. Then you will certainly live in Me alone hereafter.

ಅಥ ಚಿತ್ತಂ ಸಮಾಧಾತುಂ ನ ಶಕ್ನೋಷಿ ಮಯಿ ಸ್ಥಿರಮ್। ಅಭ್ಯಾಸಯೋಗೇನ ತತೋ ಮಾಮಿಚ್ಛಾಪ್ತುಂ ಧನಞ್ಜಯ

atha chittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śhaknoṣhi mayi sthiram abhyāsa-yogena tato mām ichchhāptuṁ dhanañjaya

📖 Meaning

If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to reach Me through the yoga of constant practice, O Arjuna.

ಅಭ್ಯಾಸೇಽಪ್ಯಸಮರ್ಥೋಽಸಿ ಮತ್ಕರ್ಮಪರಮೋ ಭವ। ಮದರ್ಥಮಪಿ ಕರ್ಮಾಣಿ ಕುರ್ವನ್ ಸಿದ್ಧಿಮವಾಪ್ಸ್ಯಸಿ

abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si mat-karma-paramo bhava mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi

📖 Meaning

If you are unable to practice even this Abhyasa Yoga, be intent on doing actions for My sake; even by doing actions for My sake, you will attain perfection.

ಅಥೈತದಪ್ಯಶಕ್ತೋಽಸಿ ಕರ್ತುಂ ಮದ್ಯೋಗಮಾಶ್ರಿತಃ। ಸರ್ವಕರ್ಮಫಲತ್ಯಾಗಂ ತತಃ ಕುರು ಯತಾತ್ಮವಾನ್

athaitad apy aśhakto ’si kartuṁ mad-yogam āśhritaḥ sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān

📖 Meaning

If you are unable to do even this, then, resort to union with Me and renounce the fruits of all actions with self-control.

ಶ್ರೇಯೋ ಹಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಮಭ್ಯಾಸಾಜ್ಜ್ಞಾನಾದ್ಧ್ಯಾನಂ ವಿಶಿಷ್ಯತೇ। ಧ್ಯಾನಾತ್ಕರ್ಮಫಲತ್ಯಾಗಸ್ತ್ಯಾಗಾಚ್ಛಾನ್ತಿರನನ್ತರಮ್

śhreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj jñānād dhyānaṁ viśhiṣhyate dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas tyāgāch chhāntir anantaram

📖 Meaning

Better indeed is knowledge than practice; better than knowledge is meditation; better than meditation is the renunciation of the fruits of actions: peace immediately follows renunciation.

ಅದ್ವೇಷ್ಟಾ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾನಾಂ ಮೈತ್ರಃ ಕರುಣ ಏವ ಚ। ನಿರ್ಮಮೋ ನಿರಹಙ್ಕಾರಃ ಸಮದುಃಖಸುಖಃ ಕ್ಷಮೀ

adveṣhṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva cha nirmamo nirahankāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣhamī

📖 Meaning

He who hates no creature, is friendly and compassionate to all, is free from attachment and egoism, is balanced in pleasure and pain, and is forgiving.

ಸನ್ತುಷ್ಟಃ ಸತತಂ ಯೋಗೀ ಯತಾತ್ಮಾ ದೃಢನಿಶ್ಚಯಃ। ಮಯ್ಯರ್ಪಿತಮನೋಬುದ್ಧಿರ್ಯೋ ಮದ್ಭಕ್ತಃ ಸ ಮೇ ಪ್ರಿಯಃ

santuṣhṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛiḍha-niśhchayaḥ mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

📖 Meaning

Ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessing firm conviction, with the mind and intellect dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to Me.

ಯಸ್ಮಾನ್ನೋದ್ವಿಜತೇ ಲೋಕೋ ಲೋಕಾನ್ನೋದ್ವಿಜತೇ ಚ ಯಃ। ಹರ್ಷಾಮರ್ಷಭಯೋದ್ವೇಗೈರ್ಮುಕ್ತೋ ಯಃ ಸ ಚ ಮೇ ಪ್ರಿಯಃ

yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate cha yaḥ harṣhāmarṣha-bhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa cha me priyaḥ

📖 Meaning

He whom the world does not agitate, and who cannot be agitated by the world, and who is freed from joy, anger, fear, and anxiety—he is dear to Me.

ಅನಪೇಕ್ಷಃ ಶುಚಿರ್ದಕ್ಷ ಉದಾಸೀನೋ ಗತವ್ಯಥಃ। ಸರ್ವಾರಮ್ಭಪರಿತ್ಯಾಗೀ ಯೋ ಮದ್ಭಕ್ತಃ ಸ ಮೇ ಪ್ರಿಯಃ

anapekṣhaḥ śhuchir dakṣha udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ sarvārambha-parityāgī yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

📖 Meaning

He who is free from wants, pure, expert, unconcerned, and free from pain, renouncing all undertakings and commencements, he who is devoted to Me is dear to Me.

ಯೋ ನ ಹೃಷ್ಯತಿ ನ ದ್ವೇಷ್ಟಿ ನ ಶೋಚತಿ ನ ಕಾಙ್ಕ್ಷತಿ। ಶುಭಾಶುಭಪರಿತ್ಯಾಗೀ ಭಕ್ಿತಮಾನ್ಯಃ ಸ ಮೇ ಪ್ರಿಯಃ

yo na hṛiṣhyati na dveṣhṭi na śhochati na kāṅkṣhati śhubhāśhubha-parityāgī bhaktimān yaḥ sa me priyaḥ

📖 Meaning

He who neither rejoices nor hates, nor grieves nor desires, renouncing both good and evil, and who is full of devotion, is dear to Me.

ಸಮಃ ಶತ್ರೌ ಚ ಮಿತ್ರೇ ಚ ತಥಾ ಮಾನಾಪಮಾನಯೋಃ। ಶೀತೋಷ್ಣಸುಖದುಃಖೇಷು ಸಮಃ ಸಙ್ಗವಿವರ್ಜಿತಃ

samaḥ śhatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ

📖 Meaning

He who is the same to foe and friend, and also in honor and dishonor, who is the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, and who is free from attachment.

ತುಲ್ಯನಿನ್ದಾಸ್ತುತಿರ್ಮೌನೀ ಸನ್ತುಷ್ಟೋ ಯೇನಕೇನಚಿತ್। ಅನಿಕೇತಃ ಸ್ಥಿರಮತಿರ್ಭಕ್ಿತಮಾನ್ಮೇ ಪ್ರಿಯೋ ನರಃ

tulya-nindā-stutir maunī santuṣhṭo yena kenachit aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ

📖 Meaning

He to whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, of a steady mind, and full of devotion; that man is dear to me.

ಯೇ ತು ಧರ್ಮ್ಯಾಮೃತಮಿದಂ ಯಥೋಕ್ತಂ ಪರ್ಯುಪಾಸತೇ। ಶ್ರದ್ದಧಾನಾ ಮತ್ಪರಮಾ ಭಕ್ತಾಸ್ತೇಽತೀವ ಮೇ ಪ್ರಿಯಾಃ

ye tu dharmyāmṛitam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate śhraddadhānā mat-paramā bhaktās te ’tīva me priyāḥ

📖 Meaning

They who follow this immortal Dharma, endowed with faith and regarding Me as their supreme goal, are exceedingly dear to Me.