Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 12

The Yoga of Devotion

bhaktiyōgaḥ

ōṃ śrī paramātmanē namaḥ

Om. Salutations to the Supreme Self.

arjuna uvācha ।

ēvaṃ satatayuktā yē bhaktāstvāṃ paryupāsatē ।
yē chāpyakṣaramavyaktaṃ tēṣāṃ kē yōgavittamāḥ ॥ 1 ॥

Arjuna said:

Those devotees who ever harmonised worship Thee, and those also who worship the Indestructible, the Unmanifested, whether of these is the more learned in yoga?

śrībhagavānuvācha ।

mayyāvēśya manō yē māṃ nityayuktā upāsatē ।
śraddhayā parayōpētāstē mē yuktatamā matāḥ ॥ 2 ॥

The Blessed Lord said:

They who with mind fixed on Me ever harmonised worship Me, with faith supreme endowed, these, in My opinion, are best in yoga.

yē tvakṣaramanirdēśyamavyaktaṃ paryupāsatē ।
sarvatragamachintyaṃ cha kūṭasthamachalaṃ dhruvam ॥ 3 ॥

They who worship the Indestructible, the Ineffable, the unmanifested, Omnipresent, and Unthinkable, the Unchanging, Immutable, Eternal,

sanniyamyēndriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ ।
tē prāpnuvanti māmēva sarvabhūtahitē ratāḥ ॥ 4 ॥

Restraining and subduing the senses, regarding everything equally, in the welfare of all rejoicing, these also come unto Me.

klēśō'dhikatarastēṣāmavyaktāsaktachētasām ।
avyaktā hi gatirduḥkhaṃ dēhavadbhiravāpyatē ॥ 5 ॥

The difficulty of those whose minds are set on the Unmanifested is greater; for the path of the Unmanifested is hard for the embodied to reach.

yē tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya matparāḥ ।
ananyēnaiva yōgēna māṃ dhyāyanta upāsatē ॥ 6 ॥

Those verily who, renouncing all actions in Me and intent on Me, worship meditating on Me, with whole-hearted yoga,

tēṣāmahaṃ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṃsārasāgarāt ।
bhavāmi na chirātpārtha mayyāvēśitachētasām ॥ 7 ॥

These I speedily lift up from the ocean of death and existence, O Pârtha, their minds being fixed on Me.

mayyēva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ nivēśaya ।
nivasiṣyasi mayyēva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ ॥ 8 ॥

Place thy mind in me, into Me let thy Reason enter; then without doubt thou shalt abide in Me hereafter.

atha chittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknōṣi mayi sthiram ।
abhyāsayōgēna tatō māmichChāptuṃ dhanañjaya ॥ 9 ॥

And if thou art not able firmly to fix thy mind on Me, then by the yoga of practice seek to reach Me, O Dhananjaya.

abhyāsē'pyasamarthō'si matkarmaparamō bhava ।
madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvansiddhimavāpsyasi ॥ 10 ॥

If also thou art not equal to constant practice, be intent on My service; performing actions for My sake, thou shalt attain perfection.

athaitadapyaśaktō'si kartuṃ madyōgamāśritaḥ ।
sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān ॥ 11 ॥

If even to do this thou hast not strength, then, taking refuge in union with Me, renounce all fruit of action with the self controlled.

śrēyō hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṃ viśiṣyatē ।
dhyānātkarmaphalatyāgastyāgāchChāntiranantaram ॥ 12 ॥

Better indeed is wisdom than constant-practice; than wisdom, meditation is better; than meditation, renunciation of the fruit of action; on renunciation follows peace.

advēṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa ēva cha ।
nirmamō nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī ॥ 13 ॥

He who beareth no ill-will to any being, friendly and compassionate, without attachment and egoism, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving,

santuṣṭaḥ satataṃ yōgī yatātmā dṛḍhaniśchayaḥ ।
mayyarpitamanōbuddhiryō madbhaktaḥ sa mē priyaḥ ॥ 14 ॥

Ever content, harmonious, with the self-controlled, resolute, with mind and Reason dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to Me.

yasmānnōdvijatē lōkō lōkānnōdvijatē cha yaḥ ।
harṣāmarṣabhayōdvēgairmuktō yaḥ sa cha mē priyaḥ ॥ 15 ॥

He from whom the world doth not shrink away, who doth not shrink away from the world, freed from the anxieties of joy, anger, and fear, he is dear to me.

anapēkṣaḥ śuchirdakṣa udāsīnō gatavyathaḥ ।
sarvārambhaparityāgī yō madbhaktaḥ sa mē priyaḥ ॥ 16 ॥

He who wants nothing, is pure, expert, passionless, untroubled, renouncing every undertaking, he, My devotee, is dear to Me.

yō na hṛṣyati na dvēṣṭi na śōchati na kāṅkṣati ।
śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhaktimānyaḥ sa mē priyaḥ ॥ 17 ॥

He who neither loveth nor hateth, nor grieveth, nor desireth, renouncing good and evil, full of devotion, he is dear to Me.

samaḥ śatrau cha mitrē cha tathā mānāpamānayōḥ ।
śītōṣṇasukhaduḥkhēṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ ॥ 18 ॥

Alike to foe and friend, and also in fame and ignominy, alike in cold and heat, pleasures and pains, destitute of attachment,

tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭō yēna kēnachit ।
anikētaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimānmē priyō naraḥ ॥ 19 ॥

Taking equally praise and reproach, silent, wholly content with what cometh, homeless, firm in mind, full of devotion, that man is dear to Me.

yē tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṃ yathōktaṃ paryupāsatē ।
śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāstē'tīva mē priyāḥ ॥ 20 ॥

They verily who partake of this life-giving wisdom as taught herein, endued with faith, I their supreme Object, devotees, they are surpassingly dear to Me.

Sanskrit text and numbering: Vaidika Vignanam · Chapter 12. English: Annie Besant, 1922 edition (public domain). Reading notes are original, AI-assisted editorial aids, not traditional commentary.
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