हरि सर्वोत्तम । वायु जीवोत्तम । श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः ।
अथ द्वादशोऽध्यायः
भक्तियोगः
अर्जुन उवाच
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते ।
ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥ १२।१ ॥
Arjuna said –
Of these devotees who worship You directly through meditation and performance of duties and of those who similarly worship Lakṣmī known as Imperishable, which (of these two) have greater knowledge of the means of salvation?
श्रीभगवानुवाच
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ।
श्रद्धया परयोपेताः ते मे युक्ततमा मताः ॥ १२।२ ॥
Śrī Bhagavān said –
Those who, fixing their mind on Me, worship Me and deeply contemplate on Me with supreme faith are regarded by Me the most adept and perfect among those that follow the course of duty and contemplation for the sake of Mokṣa (salvation).
ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते ।
सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यञ्च कूटस्थमचलन्ध्रुवम् ॥ १२।३ ॥
सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥ १२।४ ॥
But those who worship Lakṣmī known as the Imperishable, Indefinable, Omnipresent, Incomprehensible, Immanent, Immutable, and Eternal, restraining all the senses, regarding that I as the Supreme Lord am the same perfect being in all and everywhere, and rejoicing through good acts, in the welfare of all creatures also reach Me only.
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥ १२।५ ॥
The strain on those whose mind is devoted to Lakṣmī only directly (without devotion to God Viṣṇu) is very great indeed; for through the worship of Lakṣmī only it is well known that it is hard for souls to reach God.
ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्पराः ।
अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥ १२।६ ॥
तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात् ।
भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम् ॥ १२।७ ॥
But they who do all duties offering them to Me and intent on Me, meditating on Me, with single-minded devotion, O Pārtha, they that have set their minds on Me are saved and ere long delivered by Me from the ocean of transmigration.
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय ।
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः ॥ १२।८ ॥
Fix your mind on Me alone, let your thought abide in Me; thereafter you will live in Me, i.e., attain the state of perfect bliss and there is no doubt about it.
अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम् ।
अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥ १२।९ ॥
O Dhanañjaya, if you are not able to fix your mind steadily on Me, then by means of constant practice and concentration seek to know Me.
अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव ।
मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥ १२।१० ॥
If you are not able even to practise constantly as aforesaid, let it be your chief aim to do duties relating to My worship; for even by performing duties for My sake, you will obtain the desired reward.
अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः ।
सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥ १२।११ ॥
If you are not able even to do this, then dedicate to Me, the actions you perform (even though they might have been done to propitiate other deities). Thus, with the mind under control, renounce the fruits of all actions.
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।
ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥ १२।१२ ॥
Better indeed is knowledge than constant unintelligent practice, better than mere knowledge is meditation with knowledge; better than meditation with desire to reward is meditation renouncing the fruits of action; but direct realization of God (Aparokṣa) is greater than meditation renouncing the fruits of action. Realization results in peace.
अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च ।
निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥ १२।१३ ॥
सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः ।
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ १२।१४ ॥
He who bears no ill-will to any being, is friendly and compassionate, is without attachment and egoism, even-minded in pleasure and pain, forgiving, ever content and practising the Yoga of duties and contemplation with the mind restrained, firm in resolution, and who has his mind and reason placed in Me becomes My devotee and is dear to Me.
यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः ।
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥ १२।१५ ॥
He whom the world is not afraid of, and who is not also afraid of the world and who is free from joy and anger, fear and agitation is also dear to Me.
अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः ।
सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥ १२।१६ ॥
He who craves for nothing that is not pleasing to God Viṣṇu, is pure both internally and externally, able to discharge Godly duties well, indifferent to good or bad that others may do, who does not feel the effects of the evil others may do, abandons every work that may not please Viṣṇu or renounces the fruit of every work he does, becomes My devotee and is dear to Me.
यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति ।
शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥ १२।१७ ॥
He who neither loves nor hates nor grieves nor desires anyone except God’s devotees, who renounces good and evil except knowledge, devotion and Vairāgya and is devoted to Me, is dear to Me.
समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः ।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥ १२।१८ ॥
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् ।
अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः ॥ १२।१९ ॥
He, who reacts alike to friend and foe, likewise to honour and ignominy, to cold and heat, pleasures and pains, and free from attachment to fruits of action; He who regards with equal unconcern blame as well as praise, who does not talk about matters other than what relate to God, is content with whatever is got unasked for, is without a fixed abode (but permanently abides in the Lord), is of unshakable convictions and full of devotion that person is dear to Me.
ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते ।
श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः ॥ १२।२० ॥
Those devotees who with faith follow this course set forth above grounded on Dharma and leading to Immortality, regarding Me as their Supreme Object are exceedingly dear to Me.
ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु
ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे
भक्तियोगो नाम द्वादशोऽध्यायः ॥ १२॥
Thus ends the Twelfth Chapter of the Upaniśads of the Bhagavad Gīta entitled “Bhakti Yoga”, the Yoga of Devotion.
Reference: Srimad Bhagavad Gita pocket book published by Suguna Samsath with English translation by Shri Bannanje Govindacharya (Received with blessings from HH Shri Shri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji of Puttige Matha in Austin, TX, Nov 1997)
Transliterated by Krishna Rao Vijayanagar and Raghunath Rao
“Do your Best … and leave the Rest … “
॥ सर्वं श्री कृष्णार्पणं अस्तु ॥