Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12

The Path of Devotion and Surrender

Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita emphasizes the significance of devotion and surrender. Lord Krishna describes the qualities of His beloved devotees—those who are selfless, humble, and steadfast in their devotion. He assures that those who dedicate themselves to Him with unwavering faith and love will find His eternal grace and support on their spiritual journey.

अर्जुन उवाच

एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते।

ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः ॥ १॥

arjuna uvaacha

evam satatayuktaa ye bhaktaas twaam paryupaasate

ye chaapyaksharamavyaktam teshaam ke yogavittamaah

Arjuna said : The devotees exclusively and constantly devoted to You in the manner stated just earlier, adore You as possessed of form and attributes, and those who adore as the supreme Reality only the indestructible unmanifest Brahma (who is Truth, Knowledgeand Bliss solidified) of these two types of worshippers who are the best knowers of Yoga?(1)

श्रीभगवानुवाच

मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते।

श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः॥२॥

sri bhagavan uvaacha

mayyaaveshya mano ye maam nityayuktaa upaasate

shraddhayaa parayopetaaste me yuktaatmaa mataah

Śrī Bhagavān said : I consider them to be the best Yogīs, who endowed with supreme faith, and ever united through meditation with Me, worship Me with their mind centred on Me. (2)

ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते।

सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम् ॥ ३॥

सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः।

ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥ ४॥

ye twaksharamanirdeshyamavyaktam paryupasate

sarvatragamachintyam cha kootasthamachalam dhruvam

samniyamyendriyagraamam sarvatra samabuddhaya

te praapnuvanti maameva sarvabhootahite rataah

Those, however, who fully controlling all their senses and even-minded towards all, and devoted to the welfare of all beings, constantly adore as their very self the unthinkable, omnipresent, indestructible, indefinable, eternal, immovable, unmanifest and changeless Brahma, they too come to Me.(3-4)

क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।

अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दु:खं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते ॥५॥

klesho’dhikatarasteshaam avyaktaasaktachetasaam

avyaktaa hi gatirduhkham dehavadbhiravaapyate

Of course, the strain is greater for those who have their mind attached to the Unmanifest, as attunement with the Unmanifest is attained with difficulty by the body-conscious people. (5)

ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि सन्यस्य मत्पराः।

अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते ॥ ६ ॥

तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्।

भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम्॥७॥

ye tu sarvaani karmaani mayi sannyasya matparaah

ananyenaiva yogena maam dhyaayanta upaasate

teshaamaham samuddhartaa mrtyusamsaarasaagaraat

bhavaami nachiraat paartha mayyaaveshitachetasaam

On the other hand, those depending exclusively on Me, and surrendering all actions to Me, worship Me (God with attributes), constantly meditating on Me with single-minded devotion, them, Arjuna, I speedily deliver from the ocean of birth and death, their mind being fixed on Me.(6-7)

मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय।

निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः॥८॥

mayyeva mana aadhatswa mayi buddhim niveshaya

nivasishyasi mayyeva ata oordhwam na samshayah

Therefore, fix your mind on Me, and establish your intellect in Me alone; thereafter you will abide solely in Me. There is no doubt about it. (8)

अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्।

अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय ॥ ९ ॥

atha chittam samaadhaatum na shaknoshi mayi sthiram

abhyaasayogena tato maamicchaaptum dhananjaya

If you cannot steadily fix the mind on Me, Arjuna, then seek to attain Me through the Yoga of practice.

अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव।

मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि ॥१०॥

abhyaase’pyasamartho’si matkarmaparamo bhava

madarthamapi karmaani kurvansiddhimavaapyasi

If you are unequal even to the pursuit of such practice, be intent to work for Me; you shall attain perfection in the shape of My realization) even by performing actions for My sake. (10)

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः।

सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ॥ ११ ॥

athaitadapyashakto’si kartum madyogamaashritah

sarvakarmaphalatyaagam tatah kuru yataatmavaan

If, taking recourse to the Yoga of My realization, you are unable even to do this, then, subduing your mind and intellect etc., relinquish the fruit of all actions.(11)

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते।

ध्यानाकर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥१२॥

shreyo hi jnaanamabhyaasaat jnaanaaddhyaanam vishishyate

dhyaanaat karmaphalatyaagas tyaagaadcchaantir anantaram

Knowledge is better than practice without discernment, meditation on God is superior to knowledge, and renunciation of the fruit of actions is even superior to meditation; for, peace immediately follows from renunciation. (12)

अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च।

निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी ॥ १३ ॥

सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः।

मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥ १४॥

adweshtaa sarvabhootaanaam maitrah karuna eva cha

nirmamo nirahankaarah samaduhkhasukhah kshamee

santushtah satatam yogee yataatmaa dridhanishchayah

mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktah sa me priyah

He who is free from malice towards all beings, friendly and compassionate, and free from the feelings of l’ and ‘mine’, balanced in joy and sorrow, forgiving by nature, ever-contented and mentally united with Me, nay, who has subdued his mind, senses and body, has a firm resolve, and has surrendered his mind and reason to Me—that devotee of Mine is dear to Me.(13-14)

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः।

हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ॥ १५॥

yasmaannodwijate loko lokannodwijate cha yah

harshaamarshabhayodwegairmukto yah sa cha me priyah

He who is not a source of annoyance to his fellow-creatures, and who in his turn does not feel vexed with his fellow-creatures, and who is free from delight and envy, perturbation and fear, is dear to Me.(15)

अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः।

सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ॥१६॥

anapekshah suchirdaksha udaaseeno gatavyathah

sarvaarambhaparityaagee yo madbhaktah sa me priyah

He who wants nothing, who is both internally and externally pure, is wise and impartial and has risen above all distractions, and who renounces the sense of doership in all undertakings—such a devotee of Mine is dear to Me. (16)

यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति।

शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः ॥ १७॥

Yo na hrishyati na dweshti na shochati na kaangkshati

shubhaashubhaparityaagee bhaktimaan yah sa me priyah

He who neither rejoices nor hates, nor grieves, nor desires, and who renounces both good and evil actions and is full of devotion, is dear to Me.(17)

शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः ॥१८॥

तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मोंनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित्।

अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः॥१९॥

samah shatrau cha mitre cha tathaa maanaapamaanayoh

sheetoshnasukhaduhkheshu samah sangavivarjitah

tulyanindaastutirmaunee santushto yena kenachit

aniketah sthiramatirbhaktimaan me priyo narah

He who deals equally with friend and foe, and is the same in honour and ignominy, who is alike in heatand cold, pleasure and pain and other contrary experiences, and is free from attachment, he who takes praise and reproach alike, and is given to contemplation and is contented with any means of subsistence available, entertaining no sense of ownership and attachment in respect of his dwelling-place and is full of devotion to Me, that person is dear to Me.(18-19)

ये तु धम्र्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते।

श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव में प्रियाः ॥२०॥

ye tu dharmyaamritamidam yathoktam paryupaasate

shraddhadhaanaah matparamaa bhaktaaste’teeva me priyaah

Those devotees, however, who partake in a disinterested way of this nectar of pious wisdom set forth above, endowed with faith and solely devoted to Me, they are extremely dear to Me. (20)

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु

ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे

भक्तियोगो नाम द्वादशोऽध्यायः ॥ १२ ॥

om tat sat iti srimadbhagavadgeetaasu upanishatsu

brahma vidyaayaam yogashaastre sri krishnaarjuna samvaade

bhakti yogo naama dwaadasho’dhyaayah || 

Thus, in the Upanisad sung by the Lord, the Science of Brahma, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krsna and Arjuna, ends the twelfth chapter entitled “The Yoga of Devotion”