Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12
भगवद्गीता अध्यायः 12
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.
Shlokas (20)
+ Add ShlokaBhagavad Gita 12.1
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 1
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?
Bhagavad Gita 12.2
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 2
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.3
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 3
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते | सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यञ्च कूटस्थमचलन्ध्रुवम् ||१२-३||
ye tvakṣaramanirdeśyamavyaktaṃ paryupāsate . sarvatragamacintyañca kūṭasthamacalandhruvam ||12-3||
Those who are attached to the unmanifested and impersonal feature of the Supreme, and who do not engage in devotional service, experience a greater difficulty in attaining Me, O Arjuna.
Bhagavad Gita 12.4
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 4
सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः | ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ||१२-४||
sanniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ . te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ||12-4||
But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them, whose minds are always absorbed in Me, I provide what they lack and preserve what they have.
Bhagavad Gita 12.5
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 5
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.6
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 6
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.7
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 7
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् | भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ||१२-७||
teṣāmahaṃ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṃsārasāgarāt . bhavāmi nacirātpārtha mayyāveśitacetasām ||12-7||
Of those who are devoted to Me and whose minds are fixed on Me, O son of Pṛthā, assuredly I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
Bhagavad Gita 12.8
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 8
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.9
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 9
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.10
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 10
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.11
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 11
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.12
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 12
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.13
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 13
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च | निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ||१२-१३||
adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca . nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ||12-13||
But those who completely dedicate all their activities to Me, regarding Me as the supreme goal, and meditate on Me with single-minded devotion, worshiping Me through the path of unalloyed devotion.
Bhagavad Gita 12.14
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 14
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः | मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ||१२-१४||
santuṣṭaḥ satataṃ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ . mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ ||12-14||
I swiftly deliver them from the ocean of birth and death, for their consciousness is merged in Me.
Bhagavad Gita 12.15
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 15
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.16
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 16
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.17
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 17
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.
Bhagavad Gita 12.18
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 18
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, who is free from attachment and remains steady in situations of gain or loss.
Bhagavad Gita 12.19
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 19
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् | अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ||१२-१९||
tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit . aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimānme priyo naraḥ ||12-19||
Who is satisfied with anything, who is indifferent to everything, who is free from possessiveness, and whose mind is fixed in devotion—that person is very dear to Me.
Bhagavad Gita 12.20
Bhagavad Gita / Mahabharata · Chapter 12 · Verse 20
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.