Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 12 Bhakti Yogah

मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्त: सङ्गवर्जित: |
निर्वैर: सर्वभूतेषु य: स मामेति पाण्डव ||55||

He who performs all actions for Me, regards Me as supreme, is devoted to Me, and harbors no malice, attains Me.

Madbhaktah: My devotee.
Mamet: Attains Me.
Karma-krin: Performs actions for Me.

Concluding the chapter, Krishna reinforces the essence of devotion, humility, and detachment. The emphasis on surrendering actions to the divine and maintaining equanimity highlights the harmony between worldly duties and spiritual goals.

Bookmark removed

Chapter 12

Bhakti Yogah

अर्जुन उवाच |
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते |
ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमा: ||1||

Arjuna said: Thus those devotees who are ever steadfast and worship You and those who worship the imperishable and the unmanifest—which of them are better versed in Yoga?

Arjuna: The devotee seeking guidance.
Yoga: The discipline for self-realization.
Akshara: The imperishable and unmanifest.

Arjuna seeks clarity on devotion to the manifest and the unmanifest, reflecting a universal dilemma in spiritual practice. This question sets the stage for Krishna to distinguish between devotion based on personal connection and the abstract pursuit of the imperceptible divine.

Bookmark removed

Bhakti Yogah - Sri Krishna said: Those who fix their minds on Me, worship Me always with supreme faith, and are ever steadfast, are considered by Me to be the most perfect in Yoga.

श्रीभगवानुवाच मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते |
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मता: ||2||

Sri Krishna said: Those who fix their minds on Me, worship Me always with supreme faith, and are ever steadfast, are considered by Me to be the most perfect in Yoga.

Shraddha: Supreme faith and devotion.
Upasana: The act of worship or meditation.

Krishna highlights the superiority of direct devotion with steadfast faith. This shloka emphasizes the simplicity and accessibility of focusing on a personal connection with the divine, contrasting with abstract paths that require greater mental discipline.

Bookmark removed

Bhakti Yogah - But those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the omnipresent, the inconceivable, the immutable, and the eternal,

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते |
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यञ्च कूटस्थमचलन्ध्रुवम् ||3||

But those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the omnipresent, the inconceivable, the immutable, and the eternal,

Akshara: The imperishable and eternal.
Avyakta: The unmanifest, beyond perception.

The unmanifest path is introduced as one of abstraction and detachment. Krishna acknowledges this as a legitimate pursuit but subtly underscores its difficulty, particularly for those still deeply connected to worldly attachments.

Bookmark removed

Bhakti Yogah - Having restrained all the senses, remaining even-minded everywhere, engaged in the welfare of all beings—such persons attain Me alone.

सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धय: |
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रता: ||4||

Having restrained all the senses, remaining even-minded everywhere, engaged in the welfare of all beings—such persons attain Me alone.

Indriya: The senses and their control.
Samabuddhi: Evenness of mind or equanimity.

Krishna praises the qualities needed for the unmanifest path—self-restraint and universal goodwill. This commentary reinforces the idea that devotion to the unmanifest requires profound inner discipline and selflessness.

Bookmark removed

Bhakti Yogah - Greater is the trouble of those whose minds are set on the unmanifest; for the unmanifest goal is very difficult for the embodied to reach.

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् || अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दु:खं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ||5||

Greater is the trouble of those whose minds are set on the unmanifest; for the unmanifest goal is very difficult for the embodied to reach.

Klesha: Difficulties or hardships.
Avyakta: The unmanifest, imperceptible state.

Krishna stresses the hardships faced by those who pursue the unmanifest path. He gently steers attention toward the more practical path of devotion to the manifest divine, which is less arduous for the embodied soul.

Bookmark removed