BG 12: Devotional Service
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 worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?
2
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayy āveśya mano ye māḿ
nitya-yuktā upāsate
śraddhayā parayopetās
te me yuktatamā 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 and transcendental faith are considered by Me to be most perfect.
3-4
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, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable — the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth — by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.
5
kleśo 'dhikataras 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 discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
6-7
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 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.
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.
9
atha cittaḿ samādhātuḿ
na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram
abhyāsa-yogena tato
mām icchāptuḿ dhanañjaya
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 way develop a desire to attain Me.
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.
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.
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, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
13-14
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 but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me — such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.
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 to Me.
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 some result, is very dear to Me.
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 is very dear to Me.
18-19
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, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service — such a person is very dear to Me.
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, very dear to Me.
