Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12: The Way of Devotion

Bhagavad Gita chapter 12 in English

Every verse below comes from Diya's Bhagavad Gita library, in verse order.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
12.1 एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते। येचाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः॥ evaṃ satatayuktā ye bhaktāstvāṃ paryupāsate \| yecāpyakṣaramavyaktaṃ teṣāṃ ke yogavittamāḥ \|\|	Those devotees who, ever-steadfast, thus worship You, and those also who worship the Imperishable, the Unmanifest,—which of them are better versed in yoga?
12.2 मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते। श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः॥ mayyāveśya mano ye māṃ nityayuktā upāsate \| śraddhayā parayopetāste me yuktatamā matāḥ \|\|	Those who, fixing their mind on Me, worship Me, ever-steadfast, and endowed with supreme Shraddha, they in My opinion are the best versed in yoga.
12.3 ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते। सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यं च कूटस्थमचलं ध्रुवम्॥ ye tvakṣaramanirdeśyamavyaktaṃ paryupāsate \| sarvatragamacintyaṃ ca kūṭasthamacalaṃ dhruvam \|\|	Others worship the Imperishable, the indefinable, the Unmanifest, the all-pervading, the unthinkable, the unchangeable, the immovable, and the eternal.
12.4 संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः। ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥ saṃniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ \| te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ \|\|	Having subdued all the senses, even-minded everywhere, and engaged in the welfare of all beings—they reach only Myself.
12.5 क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम्। अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते॥ kleśo’dhikatarasteṣāmavyaktāsaktacetasām \| avyaktā hi gatirduḥkhaṃ dehavadbhiravāpyate \|\|	Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the Unmanifest; for the goal of the Unmanifest is very hard for the embodied to reach.
12.6 ये तु सर्वाणि कर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्पराः। अनन्येनैव योगेन मां ध्यायन्त उपासते॥ ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi saṃnyasya matparāḥ \| ananyenaiva yogena māṃ dhyāyanta upāsate \|\|	Others worship Me by surrendering all actions to Me, regarding Me as the supreme goal, and meditating on Me with single-minded yoga.
12.7 तेषामहं समुद्धर्ता मृत्युसंसारसागरात्। भवामि नचिरात्पार्थ मय्यावेशितचेतसाम्॥ teṣāmahaṃ samuddhartā mṛtyusaṃsārasāgarāt \| bhavāmi nacirātpārtha mayyāveśitacetasām \|\|	To those whose minds are set on Me, I become before long, O son of Pritha, the Saviour from the ocean of mortal Samsara.
12.8 मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय। निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः॥ mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṃ niveśaya \| nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṃ na saṃśayaḥ \|\|	Fix your mind on Me alone and place your understanding in Me. then you will dwell in Me from that point onward—of this there is no doubt.
12.9 अथ चित्तं समाधातुं न शक्नोषि मयि स्थिरम्। अभ्यासयोगेन ततो मामिच्छाप्तुं धनञ्जय॥ atha cittaṃ samādhātuṃ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram \| abhyāsayogena tato māmicchāptuṃ dhanañjaya \|\|	If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then by Abhyasa-yoga do you seek to reach Me, O Dhananjaya.
12.10 अभ्यासेऽप्यसमर्थोऽसि मत्कर्मपरमो भव। मदर्थमपि कर्माणि कुर्वन् सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि॥ abhyāse’pyasamartho’si matkarmaparamo bhava \| madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvan siddhimavāpsyasi \|\|	If also you are unable to practice Abhyasa, be you intent on doing actions for My sake. Even by doing actions for My sake, you will attain perfection.
12.11 अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः। सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान्॥ athaitadapyaśakto’si kartuṃ madyogamāśritaḥ \| sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān \|\|	If you are unable even to do this, then, taking refuge in My yoga and self-controlled, relinquish the fruits of all actions.
12.12 श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते। ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम्॥ śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsājjñānāddhyānaṃ viśiṣyate \| dhyānātkarmaphalatyāgastyāgācchāntiranantaram \|\|	Better indeed is knowledge than (blind) Abhyasa; meditation (with knowledge) is more esteemed than (mere) knowledge; than meditation the renunciation of the fruit of action; peace immediately follows renunciation.
12.13 अद्वेष्टा सर्वभूतानां मैत्रः करुण एव च। निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः समदुःखसुखः क्षमी॥ adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṃ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca \| nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī \|\|	One who hates no being is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, equal in pain and pleasure, and forgiving.
12.14 सन्तुष्टः सततं योगी यतात्मा दृढनिश्चयः। मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥ santuṣṭaḥ satataṃ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ \| mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ \|\|	A devotee who is ever content, constantly united in yoga, self-controlled, firm in resolve, and whose mind and intellect are offered to Me is dear to Me.
12.15 यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः। हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः॥ yasmānnodvijate loko lokānnodvijate ca yaḥ \| harṣāmarṣabhayodvegairmukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ \|\|	One by whom the world is not disturbed and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from elation, resentment, fear, and agitation, is dear to Me.
12.16 अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः। सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः॥ anapekṣaḥ śucirdakṣa udāsīno gatavyathaḥ \| sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ \|\|	Whoever is independent, pure, skillful, impartial, free from distress, and who relinquishes all self-centered undertakings—that devotee is dear to Me.
12.17 यो न हृष्यति न द्वेष्टि न शोचति न काङ्क्षति। शुभाशुभपरित्यागी भक्तिमान्यः स मे प्रियः॥ yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati \| śubhāśubhaparityāgī bhaktimānyaḥ sa me priyaḥ \|\|	One who neither exults nor hates, neither grieves nor craves, who relinquishes attachment to favorable and unfavorable results and is devoted, is dear to Me.
12.18 समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः। शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु समः सङ्गविवर्जितः॥ samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ \| śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ \|\|	The devotee is truly the same toward friend and foe, honor and dishonor, heat and cold, pleasure and pain, and is free from attachment.
12.19 तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येनकेनचित्। अनिकेतः स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नरः॥ tulyanindāstutirmaunī santuṣṭo yenakenacit \| aniketaḥ sthiramatirbhaktimānme priyo naraḥ \|\|	One to whom blame and praise are equal, who is truly restrained in speech, content with whatever comes, unattached to a dwelling, steady-minded, and devoted—that person is dear to Me.
12.20 ये तु धर्म्यामृतमिदं यथोक्तं पर्युपासते। श्रद्दधाना मत्परमा भक्तास्तेऽतीव मे प्रियाः॥ ye tu dharmyāmṛtamidaṃ yathoktaṃ paryupāsate \| śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktāste’tīva me priyāḥ \|\|	And they who follow this Immortal dharma, as described above, joined with Shraddha, regarding Me as the Supreme goal, and devoted,—they are exceedingly dear to Me.

You can read all 18 chapters in Diya. To see where chapter 12 sits in the whole text, start with the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, or read how to start the Bhagavad Gita as a beginner.

Previous chapter: Chapter 11: The Universal Form. Next chapter: Chapter 13: Field and Knower.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12: The Way of Devotion

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Bhagavad Gita chapter 12 in English

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