Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12: भक्तियोगः
Twenty verses. Arjuna’s question whether to worship the Lord with form or the unmanifest, the ladder of practice with a rung for every capacity, and the marks of the devotee who is dear to the Lord are here.
Tap any verse card to open its page with the word-by-word meaning. Pages are ready for every verse of this chapter.
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते।
ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥ 1 ॥Meaning of verse 12.1 →2श्रीभगवानुवाच
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते।
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥ 2 ॥Meaning of verse 12.2 →3ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥ 3 ॥Meaning of verse 12.3 →4सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥ 4 ॥Meaning of verse 12.4 →5क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम्।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥ 5 ॥Meaning of verse 12.5 →6ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः।
अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥ 6 ॥Meaning of verse 12.6 →7तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्।
भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥ 7 ॥Meaning of verse 12.7 →8मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥ 8 ॥Meaning of verse 12.8 →9अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥ 9 ॥Meaning of verse 12.9 →10अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव।
मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥ 10 ॥Meaning of verse 12.10 →11अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः।
सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥ 11 ॥Meaning of verse 12.11 →12श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।
ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥ 12 ॥Meaning of verse 12.12 →13अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥ 13 ॥Meaning of verse 12.13 →14सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ 14 ॥Meaning of verse 12.14 →15यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः।
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥ 15 ॥Meaning of verse 12.15 →16अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ 16 ॥Meaning of verse 12.16 →17यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति।
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥ 17 ॥Meaning of verse 12.17 →18समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥ 18 ॥Meaning of verse 12.18 →19तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित्।
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥ 19 ॥Meaning of verse 12.19 →20ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥ 20 ॥Meaning of verse 12.20 →
ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे भक्तियोगो नाम द्वादशोऽध्यायः ॥
About Bhakti Yoga
This is one of the two shortest chapters of the Gita, and one that many people recite daily. The previous chapter had given its answer in the words ‘bhaktya tv ananyaya’ (11.54). The twelfth chapter unfolds that devotion: for whom it is, how it is practised, and what its marks are.
The chapter has three parts. First Arjuna’s question and Krishna’s answer: both paths reach him, but for the embodied the path of the unmanifest is hard. Then the ladder of practice: if you cannot hold the mind on him, practice, if not that, work for him, if not even that, giving up the fruit. Lastly the marks of the devotee, with the refrain ‘sa me priyah’, he is dear to me.
How the chapter moves
- Verse 1: Arjuna’s question. Those who worship you, or those who worship the imperishable unmanifest: which are the best?
- Verses 2 to 5: The answer. Those who set their minds on me are the most steadfast. The worshippers of the imperishable also reach me, but their struggle is greater.
- Verses 6 and 7: I myself quickly lift my devotees out of the ocean of worldly existence.
- Verses 8 to 12: The ladder of practice. Offering the mind, practice, work for him, giving up the fruit of action, and peace at once from giving up.
- Verses 13 to 19: The marks of the devotee. Free of hatred, friendly, compassionate, content, troubling no one, even towards foe and friend: such a devotee is dear to me.
- Verse 20: Those who follow this nectar of dharma with faith are exceedingly dear to me.
With attributes and without: three views
The acharyas read the chapter’s very first question differently. For Shankara the imperishable unmanifest is Brahman free of all adjuncts. The knowers who worship it are the Lord’s own nature, so there is no talk of higher or lower about them, and ‘most steadfast’ is said of those who worship the Lord with attributes. For him the list of the devotee’s marks too describes the renunciate who worships the imperishable. For Ramanuja the imperishable is the nature of the individual self, and its worship is devotion to the self. The Lord’s bhakti yoga is higher than that, easier, and quicker to bear fruit. For Madhva the unmanifest is the principle of Shri bearing the name avyakta, and since the Lord alone grants liberation, worship of him is the higher. Sridhara Swami reads the chapter as a verdict between worship with attributes and without, and brings out the ease of devotion.
These pages do not decide between the readings. Wherever the acharyas part, each position is recorded in its own terms.
About these pages
These pages hope that the verses on the marks of a devotee will be read as a mirror to look into, not a stick to measure ourselves with. On the page for 12.17 we have made clear that not grieving is a state that comes from long practice, not the pressing down of sorrow.
In this chapter the ‘For life today’ box links the ladder of practice and the marks of the devotee to daily life: the practice of attention, service, freedom from worry over results, relationships at work, cleanliness such as washing the hands, and help for prolonged grief. The health notes are for general understanding only, and for personal problems a doctor’s advice is what counts.
Sources: several.